Athair
by Mia-Marauder-Potter
Summary: The trio are sent back to Founders time due to an untimely curse from Malfoy. They decide to make the most of it and learn all they can while working on the way home. What they don't know is that the Founders begin to wonder if they're needed in a time other than their own. Rated M. Part 1 of 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Yes, I know I should be working on other things instead of writing something new, but I just got so excited! So, this is going to be a side fic (hopefully) while my muse takes her long vacation. I really love the idea of this, and hopefully it'll turn out as well as I want it to.**

 **Enjoy, and remember to review!**

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 **Chapter One**

Sometimes, Harry reflected, he needed to pay attention to Hermione's warnings. Sometimes luck wasn't on their side and they needed both skill and knowledge to get through things. So, when Hermione and Ron ran to him while his chest, glowing golden as the Time-Turner broke, he allowed himself to admit he was wrong. He felt them touch him just in time and cursed as the pull against his magic and soul tugged them back. He remembered the feeling from when he went back in time with Hermione in their third year, and he still didn't like it. He could see time turning back. He saw the spell Malfoy sent and then the blonde walking outside to antagonize him. It seemed to get faster and he felt it get a bit colder. Suddenly it was the previous winter, and Harry felt sick with worry. They weren't supposed to be able to go back this far. It kept getting faster and faster and then he was back to their second year. He saw himself and Ron heading back to the Forbidden Forest, following the spiders. Then he was in his first year and was watching them pestering Hagrid about the Stone.

And then everything sped up, and they flew back to the seventies. It took a minute before he recognized his parents. He watched them smile at each other and kiss as they walked toward Hogsmeade. He saw Snape yelling at his mother and calling her a mudblood. He saw James ask Lily out for the millionth time, only to see her finally say yes. He watched as his parents fought a ridiculous fight. He watched Sirius lure Snape to Moony and watched Prongs lead him away and save his life. He saw Sirius leave for the train with James, looking scared and asking James if their mum really wanted him still. He watched as Sirius got into a duel with Amycus Carrow and almost died, only for Lily to save his life by using the counter-curse for the curse Snape invented and told her about. He watched as James got a howler for stealing his great grandmother's ring to propose to Lily, and saw Lily smirk at the aggressive blush on James's face. He saw Sirius hide behind James as Regulus Black was sorted into Slytherin and looked vaguely disappointed, stealing longing glances at his big brother. He saw James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Severus, Mary MacDonald, Marlene Mickinnon, and all of their other friends being sorted into their houses to begin their careers at school.

And then he saw a couple that looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place. The woman had pitch black hair with a small streak of silver-blonde and had Sirius's striking silver eyes. The man had unruly Potter hair and a stubborn jaw, with eyes as chocolate as Hermione's. They flew through the couple's time at Hogwarts, and Harry realized they were his grandparents, Dorea and Charlus Potter, and wished he'd known them.

From then, it went faster and with less clarity. Harry was getting tired, and felt like his magic was wearing out. Life after life, they flew through the history of Hogwarts. It was cold and tiring, but he watched with extreme interest and learned a surprising amount about not only the place itself, but the people he realized were his ancestors. He was amazed as he went farther and farther. It had been about thirteen generations before he stopped. He felt like he'd been there forever, and he was incredibly relieved to be let go.

But that was about when his core hit a critically low level and he passed out.

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"I'm just saying, it's impractical to try to train a dragon to protect the grounds," Rowena sighed.

"I can't believe he actually suggested it," Godric said, incredulous. "They're much too dangerous."

"And they'd eat one of the children as soon as they got hungry," Salazar added, not looking up from his book.

"Come now, he's not got much training in the subject of magical creatures," Helga told them. "We have to be patient while he catches up. He wasn't raised with magic."

Salazar hummed his agreement and closed his book, eyes narrowing. "Something is coming."

"You feel something?" Rowena asked quietly, suddenly very serious. Salazar nodded and frowned.

"It does not feel dangerous. It feels… lost?" He suggested. Helga opened her mouth to reply, but they were cut off by a high-pitched scream coming from the grounds. The four of them quickly made their way outside and to the rocks leading down to the forest. Godric blinked.

"What on earth…" he muttered. He watched the two women shove past him to get to the three teenagers on the ground, one of them looking deathly sick, one checking to make sure he was okay, and the other standing and protecting them.

"Who are you?" The redhead demanded as Helga and Rowena tried to move to his friends. "Don't- don't come closer."

"I feel we should be asking you that," Salazar said coolly. Godric nodded quietly, standing taller. The two looked quite dangerous at the moment, and Godric had to admit the redhead was brave. He didn't even blink at them. Though if it was his friend in trouble, Godric would do the same.

"We're-," the boy started, but the bushy haired girl interrupted.

"Not important," she snapped. "Harry's… I don't feel a pulse." Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Then move," Rowena demanded. "And we will try to heal him."

"Why?" The redhead asked sharply. "Why should we trust you? I don't recognize you. You may be bloody Death Eaters for all we know."

"Ronald!" The girl hissed. Godric saw tears forming in her eyes and felt for her, but he understood what her friend – Ronald, apparently – was doing.

"It is alright," Godric sighed. "I am Godric Gryffindor-," there were two sharp gasps and the little color left in their faces disappeared. He blinked at them.

"So…" the girl looked around with wide eyes and let her gaze fall on his raven haired friend. "You're… Merlin, you're Salazar Slytherin?"

"Yes."

She looked at their female friends. "And Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff?"

"Yes," Rowena said sharply. "Now would you be so kind as to move so I can save your friend? You can explain who you are at the same time."

"I- of course," she said, standing to move. She went to take a step, but was evidently too shaky. Whatever the three had been through had obviously taken quite the toll on them. Her legs shook and, before she could move more than a foot, her legs gave out. Before she could hit the ground, Salazar grabbed her and held her up. "Th- thank you."

He inclined his head and helped her sit down on the grass, where Ronald joined her, pointedly ignoring Salazar. He stayed quiet, obviously letting her take the lead. She sighed, staring only at their black haired friend, who Godric realized looked creepily like Salazar.

"My name is Hermione Granger," she said. She turned to look Salazar directly in the eye. "I'm a muggleborn witch." Whatever reaction she was looking for, she seemed surprise to not find. She turned back to their friend and continued, nodding at the redhead absently. "That's Ron Weasley. We were looking for Harry when we found him out here, dueling with Malfoy… I think we distracted him or something, because he didn't block Malfoy's stunner, which he always does. It hit our… it hit something special and magical that he was wearing around his neck, and the thing broke."

"It was so weird," Ron said quietly. "It was like we lived all of their lives. We witnessed it all, at least."

Hermione grimaced but nodded. "Since he was wearing it, we went through his ancestry. I think it stopped here because this was the last time one of his ancestors was seen at Hogwarts. We're lucky it did – I don't know if we'd have lived otherwise. I don't think it could act as a portkey or anything, so we might have just been torn apart into atoms."

"Into what now?" Ron asked with a frown. Godric couldn't help but agree with the confusion.

"Muggle science," Hermione waved off the question, turning to look into Godric's eyes seriously. "Who is at the school right now?"

"He's alive," Helga muttered, sounding relieved. "But his core is dangerously drained. What exactly happened?"

Hermione grimaced and turned to Salazar. "Professor, do you know Legilimency?"

"Of course," the man said quietly.

"Then look and tell them I am not lying," she suggested. Ron didn't seem to like the idea.

"No way!" He yelled. "You are not letting him-," they didn't get to know what he was trying to say, because she shot him a Look and he shut up, but glared heavily. At what, Godric couldn't say.

"He won't do anything," she said sharply. "I think we're wrong."

"How could we be?" Ron asked darkly, frowning. "Everyone says it-,"

"That may just be the issue," she told him. When he stared at her like she was crazy, she sighed impatiently. "Do you know what mob mentality is?"

"Is this another muggle thing?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Mob mentality is when a large group of people are excited, intimidated, scared, or just influenced by the same idea or action and repeat or agree with it. There was a case in the sixties where a whole town of people danced for forty days. Many people passed out from exhaustion, and some with heart conditions or the like even died."

"What're you saying?" Ron asked, obviously lost.

"Think about it," she sighed. "Two thousand years. That's a lot of mob mentality. We don't have much real information on them, so we can't be sure that what we know is true."

"What about the basilisk?" Ron shot back. Hermione grimaced but shrugged.

"He was being controlled by Tom Riddle. And think about it, Harry heard him talking about it in the pipes. He could've been doing that to attempt to warn people."

"That's mental," Ron breathed.

"It's a theory," she insisted. "And I think it's worth trying to trust him. We have no real, factual evidence that anything that was said was true, aside from the Chamber, and even that is somewhat iffy."

"You're mental," he muttered. "If he hurts you-,"

"Ronald!" She snapped. "I know how to protect my mind, thank you very much." She turned to Salazar and offered him an apologetic smile. "I would appreciate if you would confirm that I am telling the truth. I understand that these are dark times, and I would like to assure you that we are no threat."

"Of course," Salazar said, nodding. He was understandably curious and even a little nervous. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded, looking him straight in the eye. Salazar gently let his magic work and prodded carefully, surprised at the strong shields she was letting down for him.

"The three of us," she said, referring to herself, Ron, and Harry, "are from two thousand years in the future.

That shocked Salazar into almost dropping the spell, but he managed to regain his composure just in time. He sifted through some memories, each of them telling him that they weren't lying. He hit one shield and poked gently at it, but stopped when he noticed a flash of pain whip through Hermione. Whatever it was, it seemed private.

When he was satisfied that they were telling the truth, he looked away and nodded quietly at Godric. "It is the truth."

"How?" Rowena breathed, amazed.

"Time travel is possible in the future," Hermione sighed. "I used a device to take all the classes I could during my third year. I would go to one class and then turn it back and hour and go to the next."

"You over worked yourself that year," Ron muttered. "I thought you were gonna keel over in the library."

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded, but she moved on. "Anyway, I had to give it back at the end of the year, because I used it… wrong-,"

"Helping an escaped convict flee captivity is 'wrong'?" Ron said under his breath. Hermione rolled her eyes, but Salazar frowned, having heard him.

"I gave it back, and my Head of House has had it since, but things got… bad this year."

"So we hinted that we needed it, and McGonagall hinted at where it was, and we've been using it to help the younger students when they need it," Ron told them with a sad smile. "My brothers do what they can, too, but it's not enough."

"And Harry had just gotten finished helping a first year when he was headed to meet us to go see Hagrid – our groundskeeper – but Malfoy stopped him, and they got into a duel," Hermione said with an annoyed sigh. "Boys."

"Hey!" Ron protested. Godric saw Helga's lips twitch into an amused smile.

"Malfoy broke the Time-Turner, and it sent us through Harry's timeline. It stopped here."

"Why?" Godric asked. "Didn't you say he has ancestors here?"

Ron and Hermione shared a glance and Hermione took a deep breath. "It is likely."

"But we are the only ones here for now," Godric told her. "The children have returned home for the harvest."

"We know," she told him quietly, looking away. Godric blinked for a few seconds before his mouth fell open.

"Are you saying he's related to one of us?" Salazar asked curiously. Hermione shrugged, agitated.

"I can't be sure. There have been rumors that the Potters were descended from… but he's also got that connection to Voldemort who is… we just can't be sure. It could be both or neither," she sighed.

"I always heard the Potter line started with Ignotus Peverell," Ron told her. Hermione winced as Godric frowned, recognizing the name of the line.

"My great great grandmother was a Peverell," he muttered. Hermione rubbed her forehead with her hands as Ron seemed to get it. Godric's eyes widened and he glanced back at Harry. "Oh."

"We're not sure," Hermione said quickly. "It- it could be something else."

"I've done all I can," Rowena announced. "But we should move this conversation and Harry to the infirmary."

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling kindly.

"And we should look you two over, too," Helga said, looking at Ron and Hermione with a frown on her face. "This trip may have been powered by your friend, but you had to keep up somehow. I'm surprised you're not as bad as Harry here."

Hermione didn't respond, deciding to just offer a small smile. They quietly made their way to the castle once more with Godric levitating Harry in front of them. It was a short walk to the infirmary, and the kids were left to rest after getting a quick checkup while the Founders talked privately about their new and unexpected guests.

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"-all asleep," a woman whispered with a sigh. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure," a man replied quietly. "They are telling the truth, I know that much, but… they are also hiding something."

"Do you think they are-,"

"No," he said in a hard voice. "No."

"Alright," she sighed again. "It seems we will all be having a nice conversation when they're all healed."

"What about their friend?" He asked her. There was a long stretch of silence before she answered hesitantly.

"It depends on his magic. Most would be dead from something like that. I did some more in depth tests and… well, his magic was bound… and it has been since he was a babe."

"You're not serious," the man said in horror.

"I am. It seemed more than half of his power was bound. His core has scars from it." Her voice was tight and she was obviously very angry. "The binding was removed when they began their trip. I believe his need for the locked magic was stronger than what it was being bound by."

"To do that to a child…" the man muttered, anger tinging his voice. They were silent for a few minutes as they each calmed down before the woman took a deep breath.

"I must get to bed," she told him. "Healing the wounds on his core took a lot out of me. I must rest."

"That's fine," he said softly. "Get some rest. I'll stay with them for now, in case they wake."

"Alright." She agreed. "Goodnight."

"Night."

Harry laid still for another few minutes, trying to process what was said. He didn't know where he was or who he was with, but he had no doubt that they'd been talking about him. Which means… but what did it mean to bind magic? And who would do that to him? He was getting increasingly frustrated.

(^) This is a POV change (^)

Salazar stood against the wall, letting his thoughts run rampant. That morning, he'd been planning on doing research on more warding for the castle, and the day had ended like this.

He'd been uneasy when he heard Ron and Hermione talking. Having never met him and being from thousands of years into the future, Ron immediately disliked him and didn't trust him. Occlumency was a big deal, Salazar knew that better than anyone, but he'd done nothing to deserve that sort of utter distaste.

The Founder froze abruptly when he felt a harsh wave of panicked and angry magic rush through the room. It was easy to tell where it was coming from, so he cautiously made his way over to Harry's bed. "Harry," he said softly. The boy turned quickly, reaching for his wand and barely realizing it wasn't there.

"Who are you?" He hissed in confusion.

"What do you remember?" Salazar asked quietly. Harry frowned, still keeping his space, as he tried to remember.

"My parents…" he breathed. "I… I saw them… their lives at Hogwarts and… I saw my parents…"

"What else do you remember?" The man asked gently. Harry blinked at him.

"I saw… my grandparents, and then other people. I saw so many people, and then… I don't know."

"Then, you passed out from magical exhaustion," Salazar told him. "And it is absolutely remarkable that you are already awake."

"That woman… she said my core was bound?" Salazar winced. He wouldn't be the best person to explain that.

"Yes," he confirmed carefully. "Since you were a baby. It has been… removed."

"Obliterated," the boy muttered. From what he heard, that was the better word for it.

"I suppose so."

"But what does it do? I've never heard of it."

"To bind a magical core… it is a despicable act. It damages not only the core, but the magic itself, and the person. It is an awful thing to do, especially to a child. I do not know who did this to you, Harry, but they are dangerous. When you get back, I suggest you find out who did this and keep away from them."

"Probably Voldemort," he muttered bitterly.

"Who?"

Harry frowned. "How do you not know about Voldemort?"

"Because you're far from home," the Founder said. "Your friend Hermione says you had a Time-Turner on when you were hit by a spell."

"Yeah, I- oh," his eyes widened as he began to understand what he'd seen and what had happened. "I- okay, well… then, when am I? How far back did we go?"

"I believe your friend Hermione said it was two thousand years," he answered, watching the boy carefully. "She seemed to know my friends and I."

"Two thousand…" Harry paused, looking at Salazar closer now. "Who are you?"

"I am Salazar Slytherin."

There was a very long minute of silence as Harry processed that. "But you don't look like the statue in the Chamber."

It was Salazar's turn to be surprised. The boy had been in his Chamber? "I don't expect I would. That is my mentor – the man who taught Godric and myself. Godric suggested it."

"Gryffindor… knows about the Chamber?" Harry asked, frowning. Salazar blinked at him.

"Of course. So do Rowena and Helga."

"But… they said…"

"Harry," the man said gently. "what is going on?"

"How do you feel about muggleborns?" The boy asked abruptly. Salazar shrugged.

"I feel bad for them. They are raised in the muggle world and must catch up on so much when they come for their education. Some of them don't even know how to write their names," he said honestly. "I have been trying to get another school set up for them so they can learn the basics before they come here."

" _That's_ why you want a different school for muggleborns?" Harry asked, incredulous.

"Not a different one, just another. Why else would I want one?" He was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Everyone thinks… they said you hated muggleborns… and…" Harry winced. "The basilisk…"

"My basilisk?" Salazar asked sharply.

"It… it was meant to… kill them…" he said slowly. "It nearly killed me, and it petrified Hermione."

"Tessa is not meant to kill," Salazar growled. "She is meant to defend all the students."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the man in front of him. "So many people in Slytherin are Dark wizards. Most of them follow Voldemort."

"I do not understand… I do not teach any Dark Magic," Salazar frowned at the boy in front of him. "I am not a dark wizard, either."

"Everyone said the Chamber of Secrets…" he trailed off, shaking his head and rubbing his thumb over his left forearm. "Professor McGonagall said that you wanted to be more… selective about students at Hogwarts. She said you only wanted Purebloods here, and that when you couldn't get everyone to agree, you left the school."

Salazar scoffed. "Obviously not."

"She said that before you left, you sealed the Chamber until your heir came back to the school and opened it." He took a deep breath, obviously remembering. "That when they did come back and open it, it would unleash a monster – the basilisk – to… to purge the school of who you saw unworthy of being there. Muggleborns."

They were silent for a few minutes as Salazar calmed his anger. "That is not true."

"What part?"

"All of it," he whispered. "I am still at the school. I have not sealed the chamber and I couldn't do so without the others. I do not hate muggleborns at all, and what's more – I don't have an heir."

"You- then how did Voldemort unseal the chamber?"

"If it was sealed to begin with," Salazar said slowly, "then it is likely that this Voldemort just removed the wards and charms and all of the other protections around it."

"So… Voldemort isn't your heir?"

"No."

They fell silent for another few minutes as they both processed the information they were given. It was Salazar that spoke again. "How did you survive?"

"Huh?"

"You said my basilisk nearly killed you," he clarified. Harry shuddered at the memory.

"Tom made her try to kill me. I thought she wanted to do what she was doing. I didn't know she was meant to protect us."

"It is fine, Harry. What happened?"

"She was chasing me. Fawkes – our Headmaster's phoenix – had come to help. He blinded your basilisk so that I could run and look behind myself. We made it back to the statue and I climbed up it. Fawkes brought me…" he gave a humorless laugh. "He brought me the Sorting Hat, and I pulled… well, I pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor. I used it to kill the basilisk, but it- er, her fang was in my arm."

"That's impossible," Salazar breathed. "You'd die in seconds."

"Yeah, I know. Bloody painful, too. But Fawkes rescued me again. He cried on the wound, and phoenix tears can heal anything."

"How old were you?" The man asked curiously. Harry winced again, and Salazar narrowed his eyes. "How old were you?"

"I was… er, twelve."

"You were twelve."

"Yeah."

"Where were your teachers?" Salazar demanded. "Where were any responsible adults?"

"Er- Professor Lockhart came with us."

"He doesn't count mate," Ron muttered from across the room, making Harry jump. "He tried to Obliviate us."

Harry gave Salazar a sheepish smile. "Yeah… but he was an adult."

"One of your teachers tried to Obliviate you?" Salazar asked, incredulous.

"Yeah… he wasn't my favorite," Harry admitted.

"Why was he hired in the first place?"

"I expect no one else applied," Ron said as he stood, walking over to them. He still seemed wary of Slytherin, but he'd been listening for a while and believed the man wasn't an evil Dark Lord set out to destroy muggles and muggleborns.

"Why?"

"Because of the curse," he sighed. "No teacher has lasted more than a year as DADA teacher in forty years."

"Which is just rubbish," Hermione chipped in from the bed next to Harry. "I don't believe it's true, and Professor McGonagall certainly doesn't. I think people just think it's true, so everyone leaves."

"What about Lupin?" Harry asked her calmly. "He was forced to leave."

"No," she denied. "He chose to leave because he thought they would force him to leave."

"And Moody?"

"He never taught us to begin with," she said, waving the suggestion off.

"Well you can't deny Quirrel," Ron told her. Salazar watched them, amazed, as they debated the curse.

"He died," she said. Harry tensed at the words, and visibly drew back. Whatever happened there, Salazar had a feeling it wasn't good.

"Who is Voldemort?" Salazar interrupted, watching in confusion as Ron and Hermione flinched. No one answered for a long minute and the three of them seemed to have a silent conversation in the same way that he did with his three friends.

"He is a dark lord from our time," Hermione said quietly. "He's set on killing muggleborns and muggles, and even halfbloods."

"Not to mention anyone that disagrees with him," Ron muttered. "He killed my uncles."

"He killed my parents," Harry told him, staring down at his hands. "And tried to kill me. I was a year old."

"I am sorry," Salazar told them honestly. Harry shrugged.

"When he didn't manage to kill me, he was mad. He's been trying to finish me off ever since," Harry explained. "He was a wraith for years until… until he managed to regain a body last year."

"And the Ministry of Magic refuses to admit he's back, so only Dumbledore is willing and able to do anything about it," Hermione added sadly.

"I see," Salazar sighed. "Well, the three of you should get back to sleep. You have a long day ahead of you, and you'll need your rest."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked with a frown.

"I mean that we need to decide what to do with you and how to help. You are students of Hogwarts, after all, and we are the Founders of the school."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my little sparkles! So I've been reading your reviews (which I am so wonderfully grateful for) and wanted to answer a few questions and clear up any confusion.**

 **-The trio can understand and speak like the Founders because they've literally gone back through time slowly and witnessed the language change. I am simply changing it to something that we can all understand, mainly because, well… I don't know what the language was like back then.**

 **-Yes, Salazar is different. Yes, he is truly cunning and ambitious. No, you may not see that yet. He is mostly like that toward his enemies/anyone in his way/people generally like Dumbledore. He is a kind and caring person, but he is a genius and he knows how to get what he wants, though he will not manipulate those he loves unless it is one of his last resorts or just a joke.**

 **-This is a Dumbledore bashing fic, I'm sorry! I don't know how often I'll be bashing him or anything, so I can't say it won't be often or it'll be all the time.**

 **-I do not have any pairing planned yet, because they won't be home for a while, and I just want to focus on the trio and the Founders for the moment. I can firmly say, however, that Ron and Hermione will not be a pairing if I decide to do some.**

 **-I will definitely be playing with the Founders' time… for how long, I will not say.**

 **Enjoy, and remember to review!**

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 **Chapter Two**

Hermione didn't sleep that night. She had so many questions to ask and so much she wanted to know, but she had to wait. She was also worried. They'd gone so far back… would they even be able to get back to their own time? What would they do?

So when morning came and they were escorted by Salazar – who Hermione found herself liking – to the Founders office, she was practically bouncing in place. She pulled her hair back into a wild bun and sat on Harry's right, facing the four founders. She shared a quick look with her friends before offering the adults a small smile. "Thank you for helping us yesterday."

"It is no problem," Hufflepuff said kindly. "We are only glad we got there in time."

"But there is the question of what to do with you now," Ravenclaw told them. Hermione shared another look with her friends before speaking up.

"We would like to get back," she promised. "We just don't know how. The Time-Turner broke, and that's the only form of time travel that we know."

It was the Founders turn to share a look, and then Slytherin spoke up, his voice soft and filled with caution. "We would like to use Legilimency to ensure you are telling the truth and can be trusted."

Hermione nodded immediately, but Harry obviously didn't agree. "No!"

"Harry-," Hermione tried.

"No," he said again. "I'm not doing that again."

"That was with Snape," she said calmly. "and he hates you. I think it might be different with someone else."

"I will be gentle," Slytherin said quietly. "I just need to make sure you are no threat."

"Is there no other way?" Hermione asked. Harry looked at her with wide eyes.

"What about Veriteserum?" He asked. "Someone at my trial wanted to use it on me."

"That's illegal!" Hermione huffed. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I did say they wanted to, not that they did. But would it work?"

"Yes," she said slowly. "Except, it won't be invented for another thousand years, and it's a seventh-year potion. Not even I know how to make it yet."

"Hermione, I don't want anyone digging through my head," Harry said quietly. "it is not a pleasant feeling."

"You would only feel it if you have been practicing Occlumency for years," Ravenclaw told him with a confused frown. "Salazar has been doing this since he was a boy. He is a master at it."

"Harry," Hermione whispered, touching his arm gently. "I don't think there is any other choice."

Harry was quiet for a long minute before he looked up, meeting Slytherin's curious gaze. "Fine, but I want to do it alone."

"That is fine," the man said, nodding once. Ron looked a little put out at the thought, but stayed uncharacteristically quiet. "Why don't we do your friends first, and then we can get some privacy?"

"That's fine," he sighed. Hermione smiled at the man.

"I'll go first, if you like," she offered. He nodded at her and looked her in the eye.

"Legilimens," he muttered, focusing his magic. The two were quiet for a few minutes before Slytherin dropped the spell and shot his friends a grim look. "Ron, your turn."

Ron, silent as before, just nodded and stared down Slytherin, who repeated the process. When he broke the spell, he blinked in shock. "Spiders?" The boy shivered.

"So many."

Harry looked grim at the memory, and Hermione just sighed. She'd missed the entire thing because she'd gone and gotten herself petrified.

"Harry, are you ready?" Slytherin asked. Harry nodded quietly, and the other three founders stood. "Then if you'll excuse us, Ron, Hermione." Harry's friends shot him a nervous and comforting look each and left the room with the other three. "Anything I see will be confidential," Salazar promised.

"Thank you," Harry said, his voice tight. It wasn't going to be fun, living through those memories again.

Salazar nodded and looked into the green eyes that eerily resembled his own. Shaking off the thought, he cast the spell quietly and was immediately tossed recklessly into a graveyard.

"Kill the spare," a voice hissed. A moment later, a green light flashed and the boy to Harry's right was killed. Salazar felt something twist painfully inside of him as he watched the look of utter despair on Harry's face. He sighed and reached out for any other random memory. The one he got was not much better.

Harry was sitting in a chair in the middle of a large room. There were easily two hundred witches and wizards staring down at him, all of them arguing about what he'd done. Suddenly, an old and flamboyant looking man in pale blue robes swept into the room, effectively silencing everyone.

"Witness for the defense!" The man yelled. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." The Minister and the Headmaster spoke for a minute before they got down to business. Harry was accused of something that Salazar wasn't entirely sure about, and it was obvious the boy was getting frustrated.

"I was only doing it because of the Dementors!" He yelled. Salazar's blood went cold at the words and didn't even hear the Minister accuse him of lying. He watched the rest of the trial play out and watched as, thankfully, Harry was cleared of the charges.

He rushed to change the memory. He needed to know more about this boy.

The next memory he reached out for made Salazar feel sick. All he saw before Harry's magic flared up in defense was someone casting the Cruciatus on the poor boy. He was thrown from that memory to another, and suddenly he was in a _very_ pink room. A woman, who was wearing robes as pink as the surrounding area, sat in front of Harry as he wrote on a piece of parchment. "I must not tell lies," the paper said. Salazar frowned. Harry didn't seem like the sort to lie. His stomach churned when he saw the words suddenly scratching themselves into Harry's skin. He'd seen all he needed to there.

After that, Harry was walking through the forest by the lake. Ron and Hermione were some ways away, singing an odd song with a… half giant? He was too small to be a full giant and too large to be human. Harry came upon a hat dropped on the forest floor and frowned deeply. He turned to see the other side of the tree, and Salazar winced. There was a dead body – someone Harry seemed to recognize, though he probably didn't know the man well – lying on the ground. He sighed and pulled at another memory.

Then he found himself in a room full of defense equipment with at least thirty other children. Harry walked slowly around the room, correcting their wand movements and teaching them a spell Salazar didn't recognize. From the minute he spent there, the man could tell Harry was a great teacher.

The next memory was long and painful to watch, but he was glad for it in the end. He saw Harry fighting Tessa and watched him kill her in the end. The man was thankful for that. His old friend would despise herself if she knew what she would someday do.

After that, Harry was sitting in a dark room, surrounded by fire. He was holding a stunning red stone and had been knocked to the ground. A man approached him, and tried to choke him. After a few agonizing seconds, Harry reached up and grabbed his hand, which promptly disintegrated. In the end, the boy had killed the man – though Salazar guessed he'd already been dead, or would be soon.

Before he could find anything else, he stopped himself and pulled back from the boy's mind. Harry had tears rolling down his cheeks, and Salazar winced. He hadn't meant to push so hard. Maybe he hadn't caused any mental or physical pain, but he seemed to have reopened some emotional wounds.

Without a word, Salazar nodded at Harry. "I am sorry that this was necessary, but now we can truly lend you our help and care."

"I understand," Harry told him, managing to keep his voice steady. He hesitated before speaking again. "Ron and Hermione… they don't know about some of that stuff."

"I will not tell," Salazar promised. "I understand."

"Really," Harry said in obvious disbelief.

"Yes," the man replied honestly, meeting the boy's gaze again. "I truly do." Harry paused, seeing the truth in his eyes. Salazar frowned at him. "Harry, have you ever talked to anyone about any of it? The things you can't tell your friends, I mean."

"No," Harry said immediately, looking at him like he was insane.

"What about your guardians?" It was impossible to miss the way Harry looked at him with that suggestion.

"That's not likely," the boy said.

"Your teachers?" Salazar asked, deciding not to push.

"No. McGonagall is brilliant, but she doesn't trust us when we really need her to. Dumbledore is… and there's really no one else. Snape hates my guts, and I guess it's because of my parents." He thought of the moments he witnessed of his parents' time at Hogwarts and how so much of Snape's actions made more sense now.

"Is there anyone you can talk to?" the founder asked, becoming more concerned about the boy.

"There's… there's Sirius," he sighed. "My godfather. But he's just gotten out of Azkaban, and he can't handle this stuff yet. And there's Lupin, but… well, Sirius needs him, and I'm not sure if I can trust him yet."

"Why not?"

"Because he kept things from me, and… I didn't know he existed until my third year, when he became the DADA teacher. He was friends with my dad, friends with my mum, and he never tried to find me."

"So, you're saying you've got no one to speak to?" Salazar asked, frowning. Harry nodded quietly. "Then come to me if you need to speak."

"I- really?" Harry blinked.

"Yes," Salazar replied, nodding. "I do not know how long you will be here, but you are welcome to find me if you are ever in need."

"Thank you," Harry said softly. Salazar offered a small smile and waved his hand, opening the door silently and taking down the privacy wards at the same time. Their friends made their way back in, and the three other founders gave Salazar a Look. Salazar nodded slightly, and Godric grinned brightly.

"Wonderful!" He boomed. "Let's start talking!"

"I've got a question," Rowena said. Salazar smirked at her.

"Just one?"

"Quiet," she told him, rolling her eyes. "Why did you mention spiders?" She asked Harry. The boy shot a look at Ron before speaking slowly.

"There are… in our time… a lot of very large spiders in the forest. Certain events led us to believe that we needed to follow them to be able to get our friend out of prison."

"Yeah, and instead, they just tried to bloody kill us," Ron muttered in annoyance.

"They tried to kill you?" Helga asked, horrified. Harry shrugged.

"They didn't, so…"

"You sound like Godric," Rowena scoffed. Harry grinned and shared looks with his friends.

"Well…"

"Oh, don't tell me…" Salazar shook his head. "You're in Gryffindor?"

"Yep," Ron said with a grin.

"You too?" Godric asked. Hermione smiled sheepishly.

"And me."

"You?" Rowena asked with wide eyes. They'd spoken for twenty minutes and already the woman adored her. Hermione nodded and shrugged.

"The Hat suggested I go to Ravenclaw, but said that I was needed in Gryffindor more," she told them. Ron shrugged.

"All of my family has gone to Gryffindor," he said proudly.

"I almost got put in Slytherin," Harry offered. "But he said that I 'wouldn't do well with _those_ Slytherins' and I'd just met Draco Malfoy, so I agreed and asked to follow Ron."

Salazar tensed at the mention of what had happened to his House. He'd lost so much and his name and the school were all that he had left. To find out that those things had been so distorted was devastating. "I'd have been honored to have you in my House," he said quietly. Harry seemed to be the only one to hear, and the boy smiled gratefully at him.

"We can't stay here," Harry said quietly, though he was loud enough for everyone to hear. "I've got to get back – I've got to defeat Voldemort."

"We were not suggesting you stay for longer than necessary," Rowena told him gently. "But I do not know how long it will take to find you a way home, and we need to find a story."

"What are you suggesting?" Hermione asked.

"I suggest you stay and learn from us and we will see to your needs. I think it would be best if one of you is adopted by one of us to help explain your sudden appearance."

"A-adopted?" Harry repeated, eyes wide. "Why?"

"Well, it is common for homeless magicals to be adopted by good people into the magical world, since we have no magical adoption agencies."

"What about the two that aren't adopted?" Hermione wondered.

"Siblings," she replied. "Friends of Harry that came along. You and Ron look enough alike – or you can with glamours."

"So… you're saying I need to be adopted?" Harry clarified. Rowena nodded, and Harry glanced at Salazar with a frown. "But we can learn from you?"

"Of course," Godric said with a smile. "You are our students – we would not deny you an education, especially when it seems like you've got dangerous times ahead."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled at them in awe. Harry understood for once. The Founders were the smartest witches and wizards for centuries to come with only Merlin meeting their level of power and knowledge, and he was their student.

"It is our pleasure," Rowena smiled. "Now what classes have you been taking?"

And the conversation dissolved into discussions on theory and practical use. It had been nearly three hours before the elves brought them lunch and they separated to talk alone. The Founders left the kids in their office and moved to Helga's private office – the closest private space they could get to. Once they were settled, everyone turned an expectant eye to Salazar, who just sighed wearily.

"He has had a hard life," he offered. Godric frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"His parents were killed by this Voldemort fellow – who claims to be my heir, by the way – and he was raised by guardians who sound… less than supportive. His Headmaster, Dumbledore, is more involved in his life than he should be. He is constantly put in danger at school, every year, and he was forced to kill someone when he was eleven, and then killed Tessa when he was twelve. She almost killed him." Salazar took a deep breath and looked Rowena in the eyes. "You say someone must adopt him?"

"Yes, but-,"

"Then I will do it," he told her firmly. She paused and nodded. He obviously meant it, and opening old wounds would do no good. "Aside from that, they are all in very much real danger from this Voldemort man. They need to know as much as we can teach them about battle."

"We should watch them duel later," Godric suggested, looking as grim as the rest of them felt. "See what they need to learn."

"I agree," Helga said softly. "We should focus on their dueling first, and then if it is or becomes sufficient, we will work on the rest of their education."

"Agreed," Rowena nodded.

"I've been wondering something," Salazar said quietly. "Yesterday, they said that Harry was one of our descendants."

"Yes," Rowena said with a sigh. "Which makes it troubling, since he looks as if he could truly be your child."

"So you believe he is related to me?" Salazar asked with a raised eyebrow. Helga shrugged.

"We cannot be sure. Ron said that he was related to the Peverells, and that is Godric's family." The four friends were quiet for a moment as they considered the possibilities, but a panicked looking elf popped in before they could debate anymore.

"The young master is sick!" The little thing squeaked. "He fells down and hits his head!"

The four of them shared a look and bolted from the room, the elf following them to help. They arrived to a scene much like they'd found the day before, but this time, Harry's magic could be felt heavy in the air, and Hermione was standing aware from him by a step or two, nursing a new black eye. Ron made to move to Harry and was promptly hit by a blinding light of magic. The Founders jumped into action, but they were too late. When they could see properly again, Ron was gone and had been replaced by a… duck?

It was nearly fifteen minutes by the time Helga had calmed Hermione down, Rowena had secured Ron, and Godric realized Salazar was the best man to get close to Harry to wake him. When anyone else got close, the boy's magic lashed out, but Salazar could reach him with few complications.

Salazar used his own raw magic to soothe Harry's back to a calm state, which took another half an hour. By the time he was done, Hermione had calmed down and managed to explain what she could to Helga, but Salazar wasn't paying attention. He would ask Harry later.

When it was safe, Helga made her way over and healed his head injury, and then woke him. The raven-haired boy looked around wearily before his gaze rested upon Ron. "Is that… a duck?"

"Er- yeah," Hermione gave him a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Harry said after a moment. "Just tired. What happened?"

"You had a panic attack," his friend said slowly. "I think it just hit you where we are and all."

"Okay," Harry sighed. "And?"

"Well, no one blames you, Harry, but… well, you hit your head and passed out, and your magic got defensive."

"What do you mean?" he asked with a sharp frown. Godric set a hand on his shoulder.

"Just that your magic thought you were in danger, and it tried to protect you."

Harry stared at the duck. "Where is Ron?"

"Er-,"

"He is not!" The boy denied, staring harder at the small animal, horror filling his eyes. Salazar cleared his throat.

"He will be fine," the man assured him. "We just didn't want to turn him back while you were unconscious, in case of any… unexpected surprises. It should be fine now."

They all stood back to watch as Godric transfigured their redhead friend back to his usual self. Ron stared at them all in disbelief for a minute. "What the bloody hell was that?!"

"Language," Hermione and Rowena scolded together. They both looked somewhat surprised, but shared a smile as Ron blushed.

"Sorry, mate," Harry said sheepishly. "Didn't mean to."

"No one could say you did," Salazar chuckled. "You'll need to get used to the extra power you now have access to. You've been learning to use only half of the power you possess. It will take some time and hard work, but you will be fine."

"And this won't happen again?" Harry asked him.

"Not if you truly work as hard as you can on your control and your magic," Helga promised. The boy nodded in relief, and his best friend patted his back awkwardly.

"It's fine, mate," Ron said. "Wasn't your fault."

"Thanks," Harry smiled hesitantly, but seemed to truly accept the words.

"So," Hermione said, turning to the Founders. "What's next?"

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled. He watched the spell hit its mark and saw Ron go down, and then summoned his wand. Godric grinned proudly at him as Helga revived his friend.

"Wonderful! Your reflexes are amazingly fast!"

"Wish I'd been faster," Ron muttered bitterly. Hermione sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

"You've not had as much practical application as Harry," she explained quietly. "Remember, he had to duel Voldemort. If he wasn't this fast, he could've died. You haven't had the need to be faster than you are yet."

"Until now," Ron corrected.

"Why don't we see Harry and Hermione now?" Salazar suggested. Rowena nodded her agreement, and the two children moved silently into position. Godric gave the signal, and they started throwing spells.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

"Levicorpus!"

"Rectumsempra!"

"Impedimentia!"

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

"Protego!"

There was a slight pause as Harry held the shield before he decided his final attacks.

"Stupefy! Levicorpus! Diffindo! Silencio! Expecto Patronum!" Harry gasped, sweating as he dodged her attacks while firing. He sent his Patronus flying after Hermione, who was so surprised that she hesitated, at which point Harry finally managed to disarm her.

The room was very quiet for a long time, and Harry just focused on catching his breath. The last attack had taken a lot out of him, especially with his magic acting so odd, and he was getting tired. A few minutes later, he finally noticed the deafening silence and looked up at his friends, who were now standing with the amazed founders.

"What?"

"When did you learn to cast like that?" Hermione breathed. "We're not supposed to learn how to cast multiple spells at once until next year!"

"Really?" Harry blinked. "It just seemed logical. You could predict one spell or another, but not a string of them."

"And the Patronus?" Ron asked, looking somewhat amused.

"Yeah… I was getting desperate," Harry admitted with a sheepish shrug.

"That's what that was?" Rowena asked, awe coloring her voice. "A Patronus?"

"Er- Hermione?"

The girl winced. "The stories said that they found old records of a spell to hold off the dementors. They found the Patronus, but…"

"It was you," Godric finished for her. "But what is that spell exactly?"

"It's pure happiness and Light," Harry said quietly. "It drives away the Dementors- er, Hermione?"

"Yes, they know what Dementors are," she told him.

"You found a way to fight Dementors?" Salazar asked with wide eyes. Harry shrugged.

"They were here in our third year, and I kept passing out, so I asked our teacher to help me learn the spell."

"That is amazing," Salazar told him with a kind smile and making a mental note to ask about his third year.

"Would you teach us?" Helga asked softly. Harry hesitated, frowning.

"Do you have a boggart?"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Hermione sighed. The founders had found whatever they needed in the duels they'd had, and had decided to practice the charm sooner rather than later. "They're supposed to learn about it on their own."

"And you said this mob mental thing made everyone think Slytherin was evil," Ron pointed out. "Obviously, history isn't completely accurate."

"Mob mentality, Ronald," she corrected. Harry shook his head and tuned them out, falling to the back of the group. They had, by good chance, recently found a boggart, but they'd not had the time yet to dispose of it, so they were heading to the dungeons to find it.

"Harry," a voice muttered. Harry jumped, turning to find Salazar directly behind him. He hadn't even noticed the man and wasn't actually sure if he was there before or had come to find him. He shook himself of the thoughts and raised an eyebrow. "We have decided that it would be best if I were the one to… Uh-,"

"Adopt me?" Harry asked. He kept his voice carefully even, making sure he didn't reveal any of his extremely confused emotions.

"Yes."

"I had a conversation like this once," Harry told Salazar. "Two years ago. My godfather was an escaped convict, you see, and we were walking a werewolf and a murderer – not the same person, don't worry – back to the castle for Dumbledore to sort out. Sirius stopped me at the end of the tunnel and told me he was my godfather and then asked if I wanted to come live with him when his name was cleared. I said yes then." The teenager looked hard at Salazar, a challenge in his eyes. "It never happened."

"I am not your godfather, Harry," Salazar's voice was quiet and gentle. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew he would come to care a great deal about this boy, and he definitely wanted to protect him. So, he gathered all of the fatherly instincts he'd buried long ago and tried to show Harry how serious he was. "Only once in my life have I made a promise that I broke, and I refuse to do that again."

Harry cocked his head to the side. "What are you promising?"

Salazar thought about it for a long minute. "A safe place to learn and good people to help you. You may even consider them family if you let yourself – you may consider myself family. I am promising to keep you safe to the best of my abilities. I promise that when you return home, you will be better fit to avenge your parents' deaths. I promise to teach you how to win a battle with more than just a wand. And most of all, I promise to give you a place to go when you need to talk and when no one else seems to understand."

They'd stopped walking by the end, and Harry just stared at him for a long while. He knew it was a lot to promise, but he also knew that he could keep it, and that his friends would help him. "Alright."

Salazar blinked. "Alright."

"Yeah."

"I- okay. We will talk about this when we finish with the boggart?" Harry winced at the reminder of what they were doing, but Salazar nodded and began walking again.

When they reached the closet in the dungeons, they found everyone waiting outside. Hermione and Ron were bickering still, and the three Founders were watching in amusement as Hermione explained something simple and Ron continued to try and convince her that he was right. Harry rolled his eyes at the pair. "Guys." Nothing. "Guys." Still nothing. With a resigned sigh, Harry smacked their arms. The pair turned to glare at him but said nothing.

"So, you still haven't explained why we need a Boggart," Godric said, looking like he just wanted to cut the tension.

"Oh yeah," Harry blinked. "It's because my Boggart is a Dementor. It's how Lupin had me learn," he explained. The Founders shared an unreadable look, but Salazar nodded slowly.

"Alright. Why don't you show us once more so we can really get a good look at it?"

"Sure," Harry shrugged, pulling out his wand. He waved it through the air and muttered the spell, smiling happily as Prongs jumped out of his wand.

"He's beautiful," Rowena commented. Harry grinned.

"It's my dad – he was an animagus. Lupin said that Prongs looks exactly like him."

"Prongs?" Godric asked.

"It was my dad's nickname, and it's what I've named my Patronus," the raven-haired teenager explained.

"Well, there's no time like the present," Helga said. They all filed into the room, and Harry pushed to the front of the group, standing in front of the small cupboard. "And you know the spell?"

"Yes," Hermione shrugged. "We learned it in third year – Riddikulus."

"Alright. If you're ready…" with a firm nod, Ron opened the door. Hermione stood on the other side, and Harry was directly in front of it. Behind him were the Founders, all ready to fight the faux Dementor when their turn came. Harry took a deep breath as the familiar sense of existential dread filled him. All the negative feelings he'd been feeling surfaced, and he felt sick. Before he could zone out, Salazar placed a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. He took a deep breath, thinking of his parents' voices and Sirius and Lupin and his loyal friends.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Prongs burst from the tip of his wand and pushed back the Dementor, shoving it back into the dark and dirty cupboard. He let out a sigh of relief when his friends pushed the door closed. "Got it?" He asked. He forced himself into teaching mode – the one he used with the DA students.

"I believe so," Salazar said. The others nodded their agreement, and Hermione and Ron opened the door. Harry pressed against his instinct to raise his wand, instead letting the Founders take the lead. He was teaching them, he reminded himself. But it was terrifying, he admitted, to let adults protect him, even if it was just from a boggart. They'd never done very well at it before, and he was too wary of them to relax completely. But he would soon realize there was no need to worry.

"Expecto Patronum!" The four said together.

From Helga's wand, a dog jumped out, sniffing around curiously. Her grin was filled with pure happiness.

From Rowena's wand, a Peregrine falcon flew away, circling the room quickly and watching each of them.

From Godric's wand, a tiger leapt, ready to act and defend.

From Salazar's wand, a black rattlesnake slithered away, coming to a stop in front of… Harry.

It took everyone a moment to recover before Harry remembered. "You have to will them to do what you need – in this case, getting rid of the boggart."

The boggart, though, seemed to not like what was happening. The presence of so many powerful Patroni was obviously taking a toll on the fake creature, and it was leaning back toward the cupboard already. The Founders nodded and soon all of their animals had forced the boggart-Dementor to fall back, at which point, Ron closed and locked the cupboard.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

The Founders studied their animals carefully, and everyone was somewhat surprised when the rattlesnake – which Harry assumed was female – came to a stop in front of Harry. The teenager got to his knees and bit his cheek, giving Hermione a Look. She nodded very slightly, and he sighed.

"Hello," he said in Parsletongue. The shock around the room was more than obvious.

"Hello, Young Speaker," the rattlesnake replied.

"Would you mind if I ask you a question?" He wondered. The snake dipped her head and he hesitated, wondering if he really wanted to know. He decided that yes, he did, and asked. "Why did you come to sit by me?"

"Because," the snake started slowly. "We must protect our Young."

"Your- what?" Harry blinked, not realizing he spoke in English. Godric set a hand on his shoulder, and he turned in surprise.

"Harry, you speak Parseltongue?" Godric asked calmly.

"Well, yes, but Dumbledore thought that it was because I have a connection to Voldemort."

"And have we not established that the man likely does not truly know the language?" Salazar asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry frowned.

"Then how did he tell Tessa what to do?" he asked. Salazar shrugged.

"It is not impossible to learn – just unlikely. And we've also established that Voldemort is not my heir, so what does that leave us with?" The Founder watched as Harry slowly worked it out and then whirled around to look at the witch behind him.

"It's possible," she said slowly. "that your mum came from a line of squibs that were, in some way, related to him."

"I do have a niece," Salazar told him hesitantly. Harry blinked up at him.

"It would explain why you two look so similar," Rowena murmured thoughtfully. "It would actually make sense enough."

Harry sighed. It had already been a long day and it wasn't even two in the afternoon.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione slipped away from the group a half hour later to get some fresh air. The Dementors had always affected her badly, though not nearly as bad as Harry. She was shivering by the time she got outside and made it to her tree by the lake, so she cast a Warming Charm and sat down.

They were stuck two thousand years into the past with only each other, the Founders, and Hermione's beaded bag, which admittedly held a lot of their important belongings – a precaution they thought up when Umbridge came to the school. The bag would also only open for the three of them and Ginny, Luna, and Neville.

Hermione sighed and pulled the bag from her pocket, opening it to take inventory.

Invisibility Cloak – check

Marauder's Map – check

Dittany – check

Muggle clothes – check

Robes – check

Polyjuice potion (six doses, minus hairs) – check

Shrunken food and water – check

Books – check

Calming Draught – check

Dreamless Sleep – check

Hermione had just grabbed the Murtlap essence for when Umbridge used her blood quill when a crack sounded behind her, making her jump and knock over the items piled beside her. She groaned inwardly and looked up in confusion. "Professor Gryffindor?"

"I am sorry for startling you," he told her, smiling slightly. He knelt to help her with her scattered things as she waved off his apology.

"It's fine," she promised, placing the Map in the bag again. She trusted all of the Founders – even Slytherin, to her surprise – but the Map was Harry's secret, and she wasn't willing to let it be revealed.

"What is all of this?" He asked curiously. She shrugged slightly, gathering the potions next and placing them carefully in their place in her bag.

"Umbridge – our DADA teacher in our time – is… we just thought it would be best to gather some things, just in case, so I charmed my bag and carry around some things we would need if we ever had to leave home," she explained, carefully avoiding the reason why they might need to leave. He seemed to understand, though, if the dark look on his face said anything.

"There's a lot of things here, Hermione," he sighed. "Food, clothing, potions, books. What could scare you enough to need all this?"

"Uh-,"

"Is that my cloak?" Godric asked, blinking down at Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Hermione's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at him.

"Your cloak? You owned- er, own this?"

"Well, yes," he shrugged. "It was my great grandmother- oh."

"And now it belongs to Harry," Hermione's eyes lit up. "It was passed to him from his father, and his grandfather, and his great grandfather and so on."

"So, he really is my descendent?" Godric asked in awe. The possibility had been there, but he hadn't truly thought about it.

"I think he's yours _and_ Professor Slytherin's," she said excitedly. "This is amazing!"

"It's…" the man trailed off, his thoughts gaining his attention. Hermione hesitated but decided to just finish putting her things away. By the time she was finished, Godric had managed to shake himself and offered her a hand. She took it and he helped her up. "I came to see if you were alright – you disappeared."

She gave him a small smile. "I'm fine. I was just a little overwhelmed. I guess I needed a moment."

"Understandable," he smiled back, kindness evident in his eyes. "Would you like to talk about it?"

She paused, considering that offer. She did want to talk, but she wasn't sure how much she could say. "When I first got my books when I learned I was a witch, I read through _Hogwarts: A History_ as many times as I could. It was where I first learned about all of you.

"I read that Ravenclaw House was where the wise went – where knowledge was almost more important than any currency. I loved that idea. Then I read that Hufflepuff House was where the kind and loyal went – where everyone was included and friendly. I wanted to go there because…. Well, I'd never had a friend before, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could make a friend there. And then I read that Slytherin House was where the cunning went – where people used their knowledge to do what they needed and that they made true friends there.

"But then I read about Gryffindor House. Where the brave went, with daring hearts. I thought to myself, I am nothing like that. I am not brave. I loved the idea of your House, Professor, but I just didn't think I would go there. I was never brave or daring.

"And then I was Sorted. I was so surprised and slightly disappointed. I just didn't understand it. But I kept quiet. The first month of school was awful. I was bullied, to be honest. Everyone thought I was an obnoxious know it all – even our potions teacher called me that. And then on Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, Ron made fun of me. I ran off crying into the bathroom and stayed there through the feast.

"A troll showed up. I hid in the stalls, but Harry and Ron came to save me. We became best friends after that – it's kinda hard not to, when you fight a troll together. And I found out something interesting about myself that year.

"I am a smart person. I am a loyal person. I am a cunning person. But more than that, when I have a reason to be, I am so very brave. Harry and Ron are my reason to be brave, Professor. So, us being here, being here with you guys, it's overwhelming, but we'll be fine because we have each other. _I'll_ be fine because I have them."

Godric listened quietly the entire time she spoke. When she finished, he smiled softly at her, a proud look in his eyes. "I am very proud to have you in my House, Hermione. And remember – you now have us, too."

"Thank you, sir," she dropped her bag across her body and sighed, feeling much better than before.

"It is no problem. Now, why don't we head inside? Our friends are probably getting worried."

"Of course," she said, eyes wide. She hadn't even considered how long they might have been out there. "And thank you for finding me. I think it was just what I needed."

"Anytime," he told her, before pausing. "And I mean that. If you ever need to talk…"

"I'll keep it in mind," she promised. He nodded, satisfied, and they walked back to the castle together quietly, each considering their conversation.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Harry is a good teacher," Rowena commented.

"It is because he has been teaching his friends Defense," Salazar commented idly. Helga raised an eyebrow and the man shrugged. "They have, as usual, an abominable teacher, so Harry began teaching his friends and classmates."

"Their teacher was so awful that Harry had to teach for her?" Helga asked, horrified and shocked. Godric frowned.

"Hermione mentioned that she packed and always carried an emergency bag around in case they had to leave in a hurry," he told his friends. "She had a lot of things. Potions, clothing, food, books."

"Are things really that bad in the future?" Helga asked, wide eyed. "For children to fear their teacher so much…"

"To fear a teacher at all," Godric corrected quietly.

"It is awful," Salazar agreed, grim. "But what can we do about it other than teach them?"

"I do not know yet," Rowena said, a gleam in her eye that would make any sensible person pause. "But we will find something."

"I agree," Godric said. "They need help. We will give it to them."

"Agreed," Helga nodded firmly.

"Alright," Salazar sighed. "I will see what I can find. Rowena?"

"I will go to my library once they are settled. We will find some way to help them more. We must."


	4. Chapter 4

**WE'VE ALREADY HIT 50 FOLLOWERS?**

 **Wow I love you guys!**

 **Here's an extra chapter to celebrate!**

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OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **Chapter Four**

"We'll be talking about your educations now," Rowena announced.

"Finally," Hermione muttered with a happy smile. Ron rolled his eyes, but Harry couldn't help but agree with her.

"We have assessed your dueling skills, and decided that each of us will take one of you to work one on one, and when we decide you learned what you can, we will switch. Understand?"

"There's three of us," Harry pointed out. Helga gave them a smile.

"I will be sitting in on each of your lessons to help out and, if necessary, heal any injuries," she explained. "I will be with Rowena first."

"Hermione," Rowena called. "You will be working with me."

"Ron, you're with me," Godric grinned.

"Harry," Salazar said, nodding once. Harry gave him a small smile and returned the nod.

"Once you've all learned from us," Rowena said, gaining their attention once more. "we will begin working on your healing."

"Healing?" Ron frowned.

"Do you not have the class in your time?" Helga wondered, blinking at him. He shook his head and her jaw tightened. "It is an important thing to learn, especially if you are learning to duel!" Salazar took her hand quietly, calming her quickly, though she still looked dangerous.

"It is alright," he told her gently. "We will teach them."

"Yes," Rowena said with a frown. "And after healing, we will begin Warding, and then transfiguration, and then charms, and so on and so forth."

"You've really thought this out," Hermione said with a grin. Rowena nodded.

"We thought it important to work it out quickly, and work in order of what is most crucial."

"Which is why we are dueling first and then healing, and so on," Hermione surmised, nodding in approval.

"Exactly," Rowena grinned. "So, why don't we get started? We've got plenty to work on."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Ron stared at his wand in frustration while Godric went to get them both water. "I don't understand why I can't do it."

"You are letting yourself get frustrated before you can properly focus," Godric told him gently. "Your strategy is sound, but your spellwork is shaky in this state of mind."

"What do you mean?" Ron frowned.

"Ron, what do you think of yourself in regards to your friends?" His new mentor asked. He shrugged a little, looking down.

"Hermione's really smart, and Harry's really strong and talented and powerful," he said shortly. Godric sighed and waved at the bench, and the pair sat down.

"Their talents do not disqualify your own," Godric told him, serious as ever. "Just because Harry can duel does not mean that you cannot strategize. Just because Hermione is well read does not mean that you are not extremely smart as well."

Ron gave him a long, considering look. "What're you trying to say?"

"I am trying to tell you to not compare yourself to your friends. It'll only make you see things that they do not and you will never grow if that happens."

"What do you mean, I won't grow?"

Godric shrugged lightly. "I only mean that your focus must be on making yourself better, not wondering if you are a hindrance to your friends. They value your friendship more than you know, trust me."

"But how do you know?" The redhead asked. He looked like he desperately wanted to believe his new mentor, but couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Because," the man sighed, meeting Ron's gaze. "I was in your place many years ago. I learned that to doubt yourself is, to an extent, doubting your friends, and when you doubt them… that is when people get hurt. You must trust yourself and trust that you are as valuable as they see you… which is invaluable."

"I just… I'm the sixth kid, and even Ginny gets more attention than I do because she's a girl and the youngest. Every achievement I reach, my brothers have already done. And now I'm the Boy-Who-Lived's geeky sidekick, and still no one pays attention," Ron looked at his feet, ashamed of his feelings. "It's hard not to notice when they do something that I can't."

"Jealousy is understandable in a situation like that, but do not let it overcome you. When it comes to your friends, remember that you have a lot that they do not. Hermione grew up with muggles and knows significantly less than you do about this world. Harry… he lost his parents at a young age, and I would wager he'd do anything for a family like yours. Keep in mind that, even though some aspects of your life are not ideal, you are still so very lucky.

"But for your family… being ignored is never ideal, and I know it must be hard in such a large family. So, if you get ignored by your parents, I suggest you go to your brothers and tell them instead. I've got a feeling they'd love to hear from you, and they would love to hear about your life," the man promised, winking at him. Ron blinked.

"How do you know?"

"Oh, just a feeling." Ron watched him for a long minute before nodding.

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Wonderful! Now, how about another try? I think it'll go much better this time."

"Sure," Ron nodded, and they started working again – this time with much more success.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Harry," Salazar called. Harry blinked and lowered his wand.

"Sorry. I was… distracted," he pocketed his wand quietly.

"You were in another time," Salazar nodded. "It is fine. What were you thinking of?"

Harry hesitated but sighed and sat down. "My friends. My godfather. I just… what if I never see them again?"

"You will," Salazar promised, confident in the fact. "We will find a way."

"But Time-Turners aren't invented for…" the boy frowned and blinked. "Well, I don't know, but not this soon."

"We can defy history without rewriting it, Harry."

Harry blinked at him. "I- I suppose you're right."

"What is your godfather like?" Salazar asked suddenly. Harry frowned and shrugged lightly.

"He's funny. He has a really big heart. I know he's protective. He's a dog… literally," Harry smirked a bit. "His animagus form is a dog. Ron says he looks like a Grim-,"

That stopped Salazar cold, and he pinned Harry with a hard look. "Are you sure?"

"Er- kinda? It's just what Ron said."

"I see." Harry shifted uncomfortable under his gaze, and the man sighed, his eyes softening. "I do not mean to worry you, Harry. It very well may be nothing, but I never ignore a coincidence."

Harry looked at him for a long moment before sighing. "Professor McGonagall said that Trelawney just likes to scare someone every year."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… in my third year, we were doing tea leaves-,"

"Are you a Seer?"

"Er- no?"

"Then why…" Salazar resisted the urge to rub his forehead. "Never mind. Continue."

"We were doing tea leaves, and Ron read mine…" Harry's eyes widened a fraction as he remembered Ron's prediction and compared it to his year. "Come to think of it, he read them correctly. But anyway, Trelawney took my cup and said that I had the Grim. Which was odd, because I'd seen the Grim a couple weeks earlier, but it turned out to just be Sirius… not that I knew that then. And then… during Quidditch, I saw this weird shape in the sky during a storm, but I thought it was the Dementors."

"Dementors?" Salazar asked, his eyes widening. "Why would you see them during Quidditch?"

"I, um… well, Sirius had escaped Azkaban, and they were positioned around the school. They weren't supposed to come on the grounds, but they did, and…" he trailed off, groaning. "I'm not explaining this well."

"Yes, well, we have some things to talk about," Salazar told him firmly. "But let us get back to the Grim. How many times was it mentioned in relation to you or did you see it?"

"Uh…" Harry frowned, counting off times on his fingers. "The Knight Bus, the tea leaves, by Ron's bed, the Shrieking Shack, and then just about every night we stayed at Grimmauld place after that, so… sixty or ninety nights?"

Salazar cursed colorfully in Parseltongue – apparently forgetting Harry could understand him – and stood. "I must speak with Godric. We can pick this back up later."

"Um," Harry blinked at him. "Is everything okay?"

The Founder paused, turning to Harry. He set his hands firmly on the teenager's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "I will make sure it is. I promise." He nodded sharply and removed his hands from Harry's shoulders, apparating away – which only confused Harry more, since he was sure that wasn't possible in Hogwarts.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Godric," Salazar said. His friend tensed slightly and Salazar heard him excuse himself. Ron went to the bench nearby for water, and Godric moved over.

"Didn't I ask you to stop doing that? The rest of us don- Sal? What's wrong?" Godric frowned at the grim look on Salazar's face.

"Do you remember the prophecy you gave in the bar?"

"Of course," Godric scoffed. "We panicked for weeks over it before deciding it would not come to pass for millennia."

"Exactly."

"What?" Godric frowned. "I do not- oh." His eyes widened dramatically. "Oh."

"Yes," Salazar rubbed his head in frustration. "How many times was it seen?"

"'The dawn of a hundred'" Godric quoted.

"Ninety would be enough, then?"

"I suppose," his friend agreed. "What brought this to mind?"

"Harry," Salazar answered with a short sigh. "His godfather's animagus form is the Grim."

"Are you sure?"

"There is one way to be sure," Salazar ran his fingers through his hair. "Ron?"

"Yes, sir?" Ron answered from across the room, looking up.

"Harry's godfather, is his animagus form the Grim?" Salazar asked. His hope that he was wrong was destroyed with the light shrug the redhead gave him.

"Yeah. Gave me a right fright at first, but he's fine."

Both Founders were silent for a few long minutes as they collected their thoughts. They shared a look and Godric nodded. "Ron, something has come up. We will resume our lessons once we speak with Helga and Rowena."

"Alright," Ron said slowly.

"You may go find Harry. He is in the courtyard by the path to the lake," Salazar informed him. Ron gave him a sharp nod and made is way quickly from the room. When he was gone, Salazar turned back to his old friend. "Where are they?"

"Transfiguration room," Godric answered. With a curt nod, both men turned their feet and disapparated from the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Wonderful!" Rowena grinned. Hermione returned the desk to its previous position and stood. "What made you think of that?"

"Well," the young genius said slowly. "Most would expect a shield. If I use a desk or a rock or something large and heavy enough to deflect a spell, I have both surprise and a free wand on my side."

"Brilliant," Ravenclaw nodded. "And no one taught you to do so?"

"Not yet," Hermione shrugged. "I guess it's like Harry with his Patronus – it just made sense… and I was getting a bit desperate. You are very quick."

"We have to be," Helga told her gently. "The four of us protect the settlement down the road together."

"Hogsmeade has been attacked?" Hermione asked in shock. The women nodded grimly.

"It's the muggles – they fear us, so they try to destroy us."

Hermione gasped slightly, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. "The witch trials."

"Yes. There are not so many anymore, and many fewer attacks on the village, as well," Rowena told her before stiffening. Helga did as well a moment later, and the two shared a look. "I apologize, Hermione, but we must go."

"Is everything alright?" Hermione frowned in confusion.

"I do not know," Rowena replied truthfully. "Only that it is important."

"Okay…"

"You may find your friends or continue practicing," Helga told her. "We will pick this up later."

"Alright," the girl sighed. "I hope everything is alright."

"So do we," Rowena gave her a small smile before the two women turned and disapparated to meet their friends in their office.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Are you sure?" A pale Helga asked for the third time. Rowena rubbed her eyebrows, trying to work out an oncoming migraine.

"There is no way to be sure," Godric commented, frustrated. "It was much too vague. I only remember what Salazar told me, and he only heard part of it."

Salazar grimaced. If there was one thing he regretted most at the moment, it was that he hadn't gotten there earlier. "I'd say we should track down the men that were in the room, but…"

"It is not possible, we understand," Rowena said. "Would you repeat it again?"

"'Those from the future and past,

From the farest reaches of the Sight,

Arrive in need and desperation

To hide from the dawn of a hundred Grims

The Lost will find kindred souls

And those souls will destroy what is familiar,

And rewrite future laws,

Until the New World is born

And the New World will see destruction of killers past.'"

There was silence again as everyone mulled it over. It sounded like a full prophecy, but they knew it wasn't. There had been more that they missed at the end.

"I do not like it," Helga said quietly. "They are only children."

"None of us like it," Salazar sighed. "But it is a prophecy. It comes when you least expect and appreciate it."

"What will we do?" Rowena wondered. "We must help them."

"I know. But how? There is only so much we can do from here," Godric muttered. Salazar blinked at him.

"You are not suggesting-,"

"I do not know," his friend interrupted. "Let us work on training them and finding them a way back, and then we can consider it."

"What of Helena?" Rowena asked quietly. "I know she is growing quick, but would she really do so well without me? Without us?"

"I do not know," Salazar said quietly. "But we need not ponder that quite yet. Godric is correct. We must focus on their education and finding a means of returning them home before we think about accompanying them."

"I suppose… And what of the prophecy? Should we tell them?" Rowena chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"I think it would be best, yes," Godric nodded. "They deserve to know. They are being forced to act like adults, so we should give them the curtesy of telling them when we discover something that pertains to them."

"I agree," Salazar said. "Harry does not trust adults, either. I believe that if we tell him, he may come to trust us quicker because we trusted him first."

"I suppose…" Helga sighed. "Alright. Ro?"

The other woman just shrugged slightly. "It is alright with me. Just beware, when we begin telling them this sort of things, they will be most disagreeable when we try to keep something from them."

"And we will cross that bridge when we get to it," Godric decided, nodding.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"D'you think they'll tell us?" Ron asked quietly. Hermione tilted her head, thinking about it.

"I don't know, but I think so if it has to do with us."

"I think it does," Harry muttered.

"Why?"

"Because Salazar was very interested when I mentioned the Grim."

"Oh yeah," Ron nodded. "He asked me if Padfoot really looked like the Grim."

"You don't think they believe in that nonsense, do you? The Grim?" Hermione frowned.

"Not the Grim," a voice said from behind them. The three jumped slightly, and the Founder chuckled softly. "I apologize for scaring you."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Hermione piped up, watching as the four founders made their way over. "I thought no one could Apparate within the school."

"No one but us," Helga corrected. "And your Headmaster should be able to, as well."

"Really?" Hermione wondered, wide eyed. "That's fascinating."

"We can discuss that more later," Rowena promised. "But there is something we need to tell you first."

The trio shared a look before Hermione nodded. "We were hoping. Is something wrong?"

"We are not sure," Salazar shrugged. "But there is something you must be aware of."

"You see, I am a Seer," Godric informed them. The three froze, and Harry frowned up at him. He had a bad feeling about this. "About fifteen years ago, Salazar and I were travelling together and stopped at a bar for drinks."

"It was his idea," Salazar commented dryly.

"Yes, well. We had a few drinks and… well, I began to give a prophecy, except…"

"Except he was drunk and began a bar fight, and I didn't manage to hear all of it," Salazar finished, repressing a sigh. It was never a story he could say he was proud to tell.

"But what he did hear of it seems to pertain to you three," Rowena explained at the confused looks they were receiving.

"Are you saying there's a… prophecy about us?" Ron asked slowly. Salazar nodded, but Hermione gasped before they could continue.

"Prophecy…" she whispered, reaching for her wand. "I knew there was something I was missing…"

"Hermione?" Ron asked, putting a hand on her wand arm, which had her wand currently directed at her head. "What're you talking about?"

"Don't you two remember?" She asked, suddenly exasperated and glaring at her friends. "When we were going through time, on the way back here, we saw something odd. I thought it was weird because Mr. and Mrs. Potter weren't there, and neither were we. But… Harry, your birthday is at the end of July, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. July 31st. Why-,"

"Because! Didn't you hear it?!"

"Hear what, Hermione?" Ron demanded, getting annoyed.

"There was a prophecy!" She declared, looking around at the stunned people surrounding her. "About Harry. That's why we saw Professor Trelawney – that's why we were there! She gave a prophecy about Harry!"

"I thought you don't believe in them!" Ron huffed, staring at her in wonder. "You walked out of class!"

"Well…" she blushed and shrugged slightly. "I don't, not really. But if Voldemort heard it and Voldemort believed it, then it would explain why he's so serious about killing Harry and doing it himself!"

"I don't understand," Helga frowned. "Does the prophecy say something about Voldemort having to kill Harry himself?"

"Yes!" The girl agreed before pausing. "Well, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"It's… complicated," she cringed at the word. It was what Dumbledore used to shut them up along with declaring something was for the "Greater Good."

"Do you mind reciting it?" Godric asked gently. She hesitating, glancing at Harry, but nodded. She let her arm fall to her side and tucked her wand away again.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… and either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"

There was silence for a long time when she finished as everyone processed the information they were given. The ever-tactful Ron broke it.

"Bloody hell."

"Ronald," Hermione snapped. "Language."

"Sorry," he said, glancing at the Founders. "But that's… not great."

"I… need some air," Harry said quietly, standing.

"We're outside," Ron blinked. Hermione shoved him lightly and looked back to Harry, but he was already gone, headed toward the forest where he knew the Thestrals resided.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I did not know they were here," Salazar commented as he moved into the clearing. Harry didn't even twitch at the noise.

"They pull the carriages… in the future, I mean," Harry murmured. "Me and my friend Luna, we're the only ones that can see them."

"It is not a horrible thing, to be able to see them. They are wonderful creatures. Death is not awful, Harry."

"When you see a seventeen-year-old boy die, someone that was a friend… yes, death is awful. It is unfair and cruel and… not right."

"I apologize," Salazar nodded. "that your first experience had to be so wrong."

"What was yours?" Harry questioned suddenly. He didn't look up, still petting the gentle creature, but Salazar could tell he was desperate for a distraction.

"It was not much better than yours, I am afraid," the man replied quietly. He did not like to dwell on those memories.

"What… what happened?"

Salazar sighed gently and leaned against a tree nearby. "I was about your age – maybe a little older. I had been taught what my mentor could teach and sent off into the world with very little money and very little success at finding a job. I found myself in a small, nameless town nearby. There was a man only a couple of years older than myself, but he was a great duelist. I managed to convince him to teach me to fight.

"A couple of years later, Godric Gryffindor had become my best friend and the only family I had. We became partners, and dedicated ourselves to fighting for the innocent people. It was a short battle and there were very few wizards fighting, but someone hit my arm at the exact wrong moment, and my harmless hex had killed someone.

"I watched them die. It was an accident and I could see in their eyes that they truly understood, but it was no less traumatizing. They did not have a chance to live the life destiny would have them live, and that is my fault."

Harry frowned. "But someone else hit your arm. You didn't mean to do it."

"But it was my curse."

"But it was not your fault! It was a fight and people die."

"I understand that now," the man sighed. "But even you do not understand exactly what you are saying. When… if you ever kill someone, then you can come tell me that it was not my fault."

"I… I killed Quirrell."

"He was already dead," Salazar waved off the idea. "The moment he agreed to give his body to Voldemort, he was dead. The body wouldn't last with Voldemort in it, and he'd die the moment Voldemort left."

"I- but no one told me that. I've thought for four years now that I killed someone, and no one bothered to tell me that I didn't?!"

Salazar didn't answer that. If he was being honest, he was just as angry with the adults in Harry's life as Harry was. They were so glaringly incompetent that it was almost funny.

Almost.

"We will help you understand this prophecy as well as we can," the man promised. "We will not force you to carry this burden alone."

Harry seemed to consider that for a moment. He gave a slight nod and a resigned sigh. "I have to kill him." He paused. "I have to kill someone. A human being – a person."

"Harry, I believe he gave up the rights to being a human and a person when he began killing people for sport and his twisted and idiotic, bigoted and racist agenda."

"That doesn't change the fact that he has to die and I'm the one that has to make that happen," Harry countered bitterly.

"Harry… our prophecy and yours suggests something very important." The Founder looked up, gaining Harry's complete attention. "It suggests that you will not be alone. That there will be someone to help you. I truly believe that that someone is us."

"I don't understand," Harry said after a long minute. "Why are all of you are so serious about helping us? Why do you care so much?"

The pain in Salazar's eyes was unmistakable, and the man looked away before Harry could question it. "Our students are our life, you must understand that. We do all that we can to make sure they do not live the lives we have, and it pains us to see that, even so far into the future, children are being called upon to do things that they should not have to. You are our student, so we will do all we must to protect and care for you."

"Your Patronus sat in front of me," Harry whispered. "She said she had to protect me."

"You would like to know why."

Harry nodded silently, staring at the Thestral as it played with an acorn. The creature was a baby, content with the strange people around it as long as it could play.

"I do not know. Magic is odd like that."

"I read up a lot on snakes when I was twelve. That was a black female rattlesnake. They protect their young and that's what she said she was doing."

"Do you think I am being untruthful?" Salazar asked, raising an eyebrow in the way that made students turn away nervously. Harry held his gaze easily, mirroring his expression.

"Should I?"

They continued to stare at each other for another minute before Salazar broke and sighed softly. "I do not know, but I have a guess."

"And?"

"I had a son once," Salazar told him, choosing his words very carefully. "He was a lot like you – he took after his Uncle Godric. He was even Sorted into Godric's House, which everyone thought was very funny." The man rolled his eyes fondly, lost in the memory of the Hat yelling "Gryffindor" the moment it was placed on Alasdair's head.

"What happened?" Harry prodded gently.

"Godric and I were called to protect Hogsmeade one night, and he came with. Alasdair was a brave boy, he always was. I assume he took after his mother in that. I am too calculating and cunning to be so brave. But he followed us. I didn't notice – I was too focused on the battle. He fought with us, and I knew it was too late to send him back.

"It turned out to be bad. There was a new Dark Lord on the rise, and he was getting bolder. He showed up in person, and he fought my son. Alasdair died, but not until he made sure that bastard died as well. He saved us all, but it wasn't worth it in the end. He was just a boy."

"I'm sorry," it was barely a whisper, but Salazar could tell he meant it, and not in a pitying way, either.

"It was many years ago. I had gotten over it."

"But?"

"But you are so much like him. You act like him, you think like him, you even look like him – like me."

"But… I'm from the future," Harry frowned at him in confusion.

"I know," Salazar shrugged. "But you remind me of him, that is all."

"I'm just Harry," he said slowly.

"And that is enough," Salazar confirmed, nodding firmly. "I will not act as if you are my reborn son. You are your own person."

"Thank you," the teenager gave him a weak smile. "And… I bet you were a great father."

Salazar stared at him for a long moment. "That is every father's hope, Harry. To be what their child needs."

Harry remained silent as he pondered that. If that was what a father was, Harry wondered if he had one at all. He never blamed James and Lily for dying, and he didn't blame Sirius for being sent to Azkaban, but Sirius was an adult now, and he was free… enough. He could be there for him, but he wasn't. Not enough.

The pure sadness on Harry's face made Salazar's heart hurt. "Every child should have a father," he said quietly. Harry blinked and frowned. "I am sorry you have been deprived of that. While you are here, if you need anything-,"

"Thank you," Harry gave a small smile. He had a feeling there was more the man wanted to say, but he didn't, so he just made his way toward the edge of the forest again with Salazar following, both quiet and deep in thought.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Harry!" Hermione squealed, jumping up. Ron's head turned quick as he looked for his best friend. Harry gave them a weak but genuine smile and joined them at the table. They were in the Great Hall for dinner, and all of them were glad for it – even the Founders. It had been an exceptionally long day, and all of them just wanted to rest.

The Founders were seated at the same table as the trio, something that no one minded at all. Godric sat across from Ron, Helga across from Hermione, and Salazar across from Harry. Rowena has excused herself to retrieve someone for the meal.

"I'm fine," Harry promised his friends.

"Oh, Harry, are you sure? I know that was a lot to take in, but-,"

"'Mione, I'm fine. I promise. I just had some thinking to do."

Hermione gave him a long look and nodded firmly. "We'll be with you through all of it, Harry, we promise."

"Thanks, guys," he smiled lightly at them.

"Mama?" A voice called. "Who're they?"

The three friends frowned and turned. Hermione gasped. They were staring at the Grey Lady, live and well and staring right back at them in complete confusion.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Helena blinked at the elf in front of her. "Hello, Pinky."

"Hello, Missus! Mistress Ravenclaw was looking for you! It's dinnertime!" The elf squeaked excitedly. Helena blinked and looked down at her potion. She nodded a little at the happy creature.

"Thank you. Tell her I will meet her in the Hall."

"Yes, Missus!" The elf nodded vigorously and popped away, leaving Helena in her uncle's personal potions room. She had finally managed to convince him to let her brew in there the month before, so she had to be extra careful. Giving the cauldron another stir, she waved her wand at it, casting a stasis charm on it. She picked up her outer robes and dropped them on her shoulders, making her way out of the room.

It took barely five minutes to get to the Great Hall, and she heard her mother behind her, so she entered the room to sit next to her aunt before her mother could. It was a game they always played at mealtimes.

She stopped short in the door upon seeing three very strange looking teenagers – all of them about her age, maybe a little younger. "Mama? Who're they?"

"Helena! That is rude," her mother scolded as she made her way over. The girl blushed lightly and dipped her head in apology. Hours of potion making tended to tear at her manners. "They are our guests. Come and I will introduce you."

They made their way into the room quietly. The three were whispering to each other excitedly – or the girl was whispering to her friends excitedly, and they were listening. Curious, Helena used her animagus hearing to listen in.

"-Grey Lady!"

"Who?" the redhead asked dumbly. Helena could practically feel the girl roll her eyes.

"The Ravenclaw House ghost! She's rarely seen except at feasts. Apparently, she's Professor Ravenclaw's daughter. She doesn't like talking to people usually. There's a story about the Bloody Baron-,"

"That's an awful name-,"

"Like Nearly Headless Nick is any better?" the raven-haired boy snorted. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"He liked to be called Sir-,"

"Sir Nicholas, I know, Mione," the boy laughed. "She's coming over, shush."

The whispers stopped as she neared, and she got an uneasy feeling. Her mother and her friends often had odd things going on, but there was something wrong with these three. She'd never seen them before, but they spoke as if they knew the school well, and she knew all of the students. She shook herself and put on a smile, giving them a small curtsey.

"Hello," she said softly. "I am Helena Ravenclaw."

"Hello," the girl grinned. "Lovely to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger."

"Harry Potter," the boy said, watching her warily. She nodded at him and turned to the redhead, though she saw an odd look of relief on the boy's face.

"Ron Weasley," the redhead said, smiling. He had a nice smile, one that made her feel nice the way her uncle's did.

Her mother stepped behind her and put a hand on her back. "Helena, they are our guests. They will be learning from us this summer and through school, if they stay."

The girl hesitated but tapped her wand slightly. She felt her mother accept the link, and pushed her relief away as it opened. _"What is wrong with them?"_ she thought.

" _That is not for me to discuss with you,_ " her mother chided.

" _Are they in danger?_ " Her family often took in those in danger and helped them until it was safe. The hesitation in the response told her all she needed to know.

" _Not yet, but they will be. We wish to help them learn to defend themselves._ "

" _Why not just help get rid of the danger?_ " She asked curiously. That was what often happened, and it was odd for them to just teach them and send them out.

" _It is, regrettably, not a choice this time. Now come, we've been silent for some time._ "

Helena sighed inwardly and nodded, pushing her wand back in its holster and smiling brightly at the mysterious kids in front of her. She sat next to Salazar and made her plate.

"Helena, did you remember-," Salazar started, but she rolled her eyes and cut him off.

"Yes, Uncle. I put away all the ingredients and put up a stasis charm," she promised. "I told you I would be very careful."

"Good girl," he nodded. "I don't want my lab to blow up."

"But you do that all the time," she frowned. He chuckled lightly.

"But I do it in a safe way. I'm never hurt. You might mix monkshood and aconite with newt eyes and…" he trailed off, shaking his head. She frowned at him.

"I know better than that."

"It was only an example, Poof," he laughed. "You know what I mean, yes?"

"Yes," she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. From there, the conversation devolved into uses of aconite. The strange visitors traded a look and stayed out of the conversation, and Helena recognized the sight of information being withheld.

"Can I ask you a question?" the girl – Hermione, she reminded herself – asked. Helena nodded, pushing a polite smile onto her face. "What was that strange silence and look between you and your mom- er, mother?"

"Oh!" Helena gasped. "I am so sorry. I sometimes forget that not everyone knows."

"It's fine!" Hermione assured her, a kind smile on her face. Helena found herself liking the girl, however uneasy she was about the trio.

"We found an old sort of magic. You know soul magic?"

Hermione nodded before hesitating. "I've not done as much research as I would like, considering…" she paused and glanced slightly at the black haired boy – Harry – before moving on and making Helena even more interested in the three of them. "But I understand the general idea and how it works, for the most part."

"Well, it's sort of like that. Mama wanted a way for me to contact her if she was away and I was in danger."

Hermione blinked. "Have you actually had to use it before?" Helena hesitated but nodded.

"There was one time… I was out of the castle, just in Hogsmeade, but I had taken the students there for the day. We were attacked…" she paused, biting her lip. "It was not a pleasant experience, but the link saved my life."

"How does it work?" Helena recognized the familiar hunger for information in the girl's eyes that she often saw in her mother's eyes. She smiled softly.

"You would have to ask Uncle Salazar. Mama didn't want to know, aside from ensuring it was not dark magic."

"Why?" Hermione frowned in confusion.

"Because it is a long process that she does not believe should be shared with the masses," Helena shrugged. "Imagine your enemies being able to speak silently to one another across any distance and at any time."

Hermione shivered. It seemed the idea truly terrified her. The girl nodded quietly. "I can understand that." She shook herself and turned to ask another question. "So, is it just you and your mother that have this… connection?"

Helena shook her head. "Mama's friends have it as well, which means I have it with them, too."

"That is fascinating," Hermione muttered. She looked down at her food and her mouth began moving, but no words came out. Helena covered a smile with her hand. It seemed the girl was a little version of her mother. She was shocked out of her thoughts as she heard her Uncle talking.

"-dementors in your third year?" Salazar asked, his eyes narrowed. Harry looked slightly sheepish and stared at his food as if begging it to intervene.

"Uh, yeah, well, you see…" he muttered. Salazar was not impressed.

"Harry."

"Yeah?"

"Explain please."

Harry coughed and looked at his friends. Hermione was still muttering to herself, and Ron just shrugged at him. "There's a little more to it than just dementors…"

"Your godfather," Salazar guessed. Harry looked at him in surprise, and the man scoffed. "I do pay attention to your confused ramblings, Harry."

"Right, well… should we be talking about this here? I mean… it is dinner," he winced at the lame excuse. Helena watched her uncle lean over and whisper something to the boy and the boy shook his head, replying. They continued for another minute before Salazar sat up and looked his niece in the eye.

"Helena, I believe we should explain some things to you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione had zoned back into the conversation when they finished explaining the situation to Helena, who looked both overwhelmed and extremely intrigued. Salazar, however, had not lost sight of his point. He pinned Harry with a hard look, who sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"In school, my dad had a group of friends called the Marauders," he explained. All of the founders were listening intently, and his friends were paying almost as much attention. "There was my dad, James Potter, and his friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and…" Hermione gave him a comforting smile which he was very thankful for. "Peter Pettigrew."

"Bloody rat," Ron shivered.

"Ronald," Rowena scolded, but Hermione shook her head.

"He's being quite literal, except for the bloo- you know what I mean. The Marauders were animagi, except for Lupin."

"Lupin was- is a werewolf," Harry explained. "So my dad, Sirius, and Peter became animagi to be with him on the full moon."

"That was very kind of them," Helena commented.

"Yeah. So anyway, my parents went into hiding – now we know that they did that because of the prophecy – but Dumbledore was certain there was a spy in the Order. Sirius was appointed Secret Keeper-,"

"Secret Keeper?" Godric frowned. "Are you talking about a fidelius?"

Harry nodded slowly. "They went to a cottage and lived there. Sirius was Secret Keeper, but they decided that was too obvious. He was my dad's best mate, more than Lupin and much more than Pettigrew. So, they changed Secret Keepers. Without telling anyone."

"Not even Dumbledore?" Helga asked. Harry shook his head with a frown.

"Peter took Sirius's place, but…"

"He was the spy?" Salazar guessed. Harry grimaced and nodded.

"He told Voldemort where they were. Halloween 1981, they went after my parents – after me. Sirius went to visit Pettigrew, who wasn't supposed to leave his heavily warded home, and found him missing, so he knew it was Pettigrew. He came to check on us, but it was already done. He gave me to Hagrid and went after Pettigrew. He was an auror, so he found him pretty easily.

"He cornered him in the street and was about to curse him, but Pettigrew framed him. Yelled at him, asking how he could kill my parents, and then blew up the street, cut off a finger, and turned into his animagus form."

"And then he spent twelve years posing as my rat," Ron added, shivering at the memory. "He slept in my bed."

Hermione patted Ron's arm awkwardly as Salazar frowned. "That's why Sirius was in prison?"

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "He broke out before my third year after he saw a picture of Ron with Pettigrew – Wormtail, we call him."

"Everyone thought he broke out to kill Harry," Hermione added sadly.

"Yeah," Harry snorted bitterly. "Including us."

"Y'know how my dad told you, before the year started, to… _not_ go looking for Sirius?" Ron asked, sounding slightly amused. Harry flushed a bit.

"Am I that predictable?"

"You did go looking for the Stone," Hermione told him with a shrug.

"And the Chamber," Ron nodded.

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I was hearing someone whispering in the walls. You would go looking for it too if you could hear her."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ron snickered at the look on his friend's face. Salazar cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at the trio. Harry nodded and focused again on the story.

"Anyway, that year was the first I'd heard of Sirius at all," he sighed. "But the Ministry, bloody helpful people they are, decided to place Dementors around the school. Not on the grounds, mind you-,"

"Like they cared," Ron muttered, thinking of the Quidditch incident. Harry ignored him.

"But they were there in case he showed up."

"If they weren't in the school grounds," Godric said slowly. "Then why did you have to learn the patronus?"

"Er- right. Well… see, the first time I encountered them, they were searching the train. I… didn't react well."

"You passed out!" Hermione huffed. "That's worse than 'didn't react well.'"

"Yeah… maybe," he shrugged. "Lupin sent away the dementors and gave me chocolate."

"And?" Salazar asked. He knew there had to be more.

"Well… they did interrupt a Quidditch match."

"What happened?" Helena asked curiously.

"It was kinda rainy-,"

"Large thunderstorm," Hermione corrected.

"-and I was chasing the snitch. It was flying up, and Cedric," his voiced cracked slightly, but he pushed on, "was right behind me. When I got too high, the Dementors caught me. They started… I think they were trying to give me the Kiss? I'm not sure. I fell off my broom, and Dumbledore used some spell-,"

"Arresto Momentum," Hermione informed them.

"-and caught me. After that, I woke up in the infirmary. That's when I convinced Lupin to teach me the spell."

"I see," Salazar said. He didn't sound happy. The trio shared a long look, and after a few quiet minutes, Harry sighed.

"There's more."

"I guessed as much," Salazar said with a raised eyebrow.

"One full moon, Padfoot – Sirius's animagus form – saw Ron walking the grounds and holding Wormtail. He tried to grab the rat and missed and ended up pulling Ron into the Shrieking Shack… er, a… place in Hogsmeade that's connected to Hogwarts by a tunnel that isn't there yet."

"Hm."

"Hermione and I followed, because, well… a huge dog just kidnapped our friend."

"In a bloody painful way, might I add," Ron grumbled, looking down at his leg. Harry rolled his eyes and moved on.

"And there was a confrontation and Lupin showed up, and then Snape showed up and I, er, disarmed him-,"

"And knocked him out!" Hermione reminded him. "A teacher…"

"Anyway," Harry said loudly, pulling her out of her rant worthy thoughts. "We captured Wormtail and were heading back to the castle to get it all sorted out, but Lupin, uh…"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and Harry mentally facepalmed.

"He lost track of the time," Ron told them. It was… sort of true.

"Yeah. So he turned, and we were all in danger. Sirius turned into Padfoot and protected us from him. There was a wolf call from the forest, and Moony – Lupin's Marauder name and what we call his wolf – ran off, but Sirius was injured. He was near the lake, and I ran over to him, and…" he frowned at Hermione. Explaining all of this and the time travel part was going to take a while. "I tried to help him, but the Dementors found us. There were… what, a hundred? Maybe two hundred?"

Hermione sighed. "More around two hundred."

Helga gasped softly. "That is… incredible."

Harry nodded his agreement. "I tried to hold them off, but it was too hard. My emotions were too mixed up and I couldn't think straight enough to find a good memory, a strong enough memory. In the end… I didn't have to. Someone else cast a Patronus and it saved us. And then… I kinda passed out. I woke up in the infirmary with Ron and Hermione. Ron's leg was broken, but Hermione was fine.

"Dumbledore told us to go back in time. We saved a hippogriff set for execution and then Hermione did the wolf call that saved Sirius from Moony… and then we ran from Moony-,"

Rowena frowned at the bushy haired girl at the table. "He responded to your call?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "Why?"

"Hm…" the woman shrugged. "It may be nothing. I'll do more research and get back to you…"

"Okay?" Hermione frowned in confusion, and Harry moved on, eager to get the conversation over with.

"And then we watched as the dementors started to attack us. I had thought… when I saw the patronus at first, I thought I saw my dad. But no one came. So I cast the spell. My stag saved Sirius and I."

"You got rid of two hundred dementors?" Helga asked with wide eyes. Harry shrugged and nodded, moving on before she could say anything.

"And then Hermione and I went and saved Sirius from being Kissed."

"I do not suggest riding Hippogriffs," Hermione added, shuddering. Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Salazar.

"See, I think we saved Sirius because it had already happened. Time is less of a delicate fragile butterfly and more of a… sturdy loop de loop."

"A what?" the man blinked at him.

"Er- a series of connected swirls?"

"Right… well, that's an interesting theory," Rowena said. "And it might help with my research."

"Really?" Harry blinked. The woman nodded thoughtfully.

"Although that idea makes me wonder if… hm…" she stood up in the middle of her sentence and walked off, muttering quietly to herself. The three friends blinked in surprise as Helena grinned at her mother.

"What… just happened?" Hermione asked.

"She just did a you!" Ron exclaimed.

"Excuse me?"

"You do that all the time," Harry laughed. "You get an idea and walk away to work on it."

"I do?" Hermione asked with wide eyes. Her friends laughed and nodded.

"Well," Godric grinned. "I think Rowena has just excused all of us from the meal."

"Yes," Salazar agreed. "And I suggest you three get to bed soon. We will be up bright and early to continue our dueling."

With great reluctance, the trio stood and bid everyone a goodnight, making their way to their rooms for desperately needed sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 _It was cold. For a long minute, that was all Ron knew. After what felt like an eternity, his friends blinked into his vision. He tried to run to them, but he was stuck in place, chained to whatever was behind him. Sighing, he looked around to see where they were and was surprised to see other kids – their age and both older and younger – all tied up the way he and his friends were. He didn't recognize any of the others, so he turned his head toward a door he found to his right._

 _The door opened quietly, and felt someone on his left flinch violently at the noise. He saw a man – was it a man? – walk into the room, holding a wand and a dagger. The man twirled the dagger between his fingers cruelly and eyed the girl next to Hermione. She looked to be about twelve. "Your turn, dearie."_

 _He felt sick when he watched the man throw the dagger at the girl. The dagger sunk into her gut in a way that would cause her immense pain, but wouldn't kill her. Desperate, Ron looked around to try and figure out where they were. That was when, with a start, he figured it out._

 _They were at Hogwarts._

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Are you sure?" Godric asked, looking pale. Ron nodded quietly. He felt sick. It was three in the morning, after he'd had his dream. He'd woken up and gone straight to his Head of House, who had personally experienced visions. "Then…" he sighed. "I suppose we will adjust your training."

"Why?" Ron asked quietly. "Couldn't this just be a nightmare?"

"I do not believe so. I believe you have the Sight."

"The- I can't!"

Godric blinked. "Why not?"

"Well… I'm not…" he paused, trying to explain why he couldn't be.

"Because Harry is the 'Chosen One' and Hermione is very smart?"

"Well… yeah," Ron nodded.

"That does not mean that you cannot have the Sight. Just because they have something special, does not mean that you cannot have something special as well," the man said seriously. Ron lowered his gaze, but the Founder's words stuck him hard.

"So… the training?"

"Yes," Godric sighed. "We will try some more diverse ways of training you, as well as setting up last resort situations."

"What do you mean?"

"I… am not sure yet." Godric sighed and stood. "Do you think you can sleep again?"

Ron shrugged. "Probably."

"Then go. Sleep more. I will send an elf for you and your friends for breakfast," Godric promised. Ron nodded slowly and stood. "Everything will be alright. I am sure of it."

"Thank you," the boy sighed. "I wasn't really sure who to go to, you know. Usually Harry, Hermione, and I just talk to each other about everything, but you guys seem pretty competent, so…" he coughed quietly. "Thanks."

Godric's lips twitched slightly and he nodded. Ron made his way back to his rooms quickly after that, zoning back into his thoughts as he went. Godric sighed once he was gone and rubbed his face gently. Whatever was going to happen, it didn't look good, and Godric had a feeling none of them would be getting much sleep until it happened.

He considered waking his friends and informing them of Ron's dream, but ultimately decided against it. They all needed some sleep, and he could inform them of this development before the children arrived for breakfast.

With a small sigh, Godric made his way back to his rooms and settled in for a few more hours of sleep – if it decided to come.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Missus!" A squeaky voice called. Hermione frowned, her eyes still closed. That voice sounded familiar. "Missus! It is time for breakfast!" Biting her lip, the girl thought hard.

"An elf!" She mumbled, shooting up. Her eyes opened and she looked around to find an elf tugging at the blankets at the end of her bed. "I am so sorry. Thank you for waking me up! What's your name?"

The little thing grinned happily up at her. "It is no problem, Missus. I am Flicky."

"Thank you, Flicky," she said again, bowing her head. "I'm Hermione."

"Hello Missus Hermione," the elf smiled warmly. "I must wake your friends now."

"Oh, no," she waved him off politely. "I'll wake them. I've done it before."

"It is no problem," the elf promised her with wide eyes.

"That's alright," she said firmly. "I wanted to talk to them anyway."

"Alright!" The elf stood and jumped off her bed. "I will be heading back to the kitchens now."

Hermione watched the cute little creature skip out of the rooms with a small smile. He seemed happy8 and taken care of – he was wearing a new toga and shoes, and had a hat on to keep his ears warm. Shaking her thoughts away, Hermione stood and dressed quickly in the muggle clothes she'd brought with her. She had left some for the boys as well. They'd be wearing those clothes until the Founders could get their measurements to the elves to make them some period appropriate clothing.

She hurried to the boys' area and woke Ron first, sending a light stinging hex at him, and then went to Harry, where she hit him with a spray of cold water. She learned in the summer before their fourth year that being gentle was never the way to go.

When everyone was up and had stopped complaining at her, they met in the sitting room that connected their rooms. Ron told them about his dream and what Godric had said, and they left for breakfast with heavy hearts and, for Hermione, a very busy mind.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, they found Helena sitting with a man they all recognized, though they knew him as a ghost. It was beginning to get disconcerting, seeing people they knew dead. When they saw him, Hermione grabbed her friends' arms and pulled them back out of the Hall immediately.

"That's the Bloody Baron!" She exclaimed. "Sitting… with the Grey Lady."

"Time travel is really… odd," Harry commented quietly.

"That's the ghost of Slytherin House?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "Who are we gonna see next? Nearly Headless Nick?"

"Probably not," Hermione said slowly. "Considering he doesn't die for another three hundred or so years."

"Sarcasm, Mione," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Did you guys ever notice how… nice the Bloody Baron was to us?" Harry asked quietly. "I never thought about it much, since ghosts are weird, but…"

"But he knew us!" Hermione gasped. "Which means… Harry, I think your guess was right. We were always supposed to come here."

"Maybe we should tell Ravenclaw," Harry suggested as Ron poked his head around the corner, peeking a look at the Hall, where Helena and the Slytherin ghost were having a lively debate about the moral aspect of using Unicorn horn.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Hermione agreed, nodding. "I'll tell her after breakfast when we're alone."

"Er, guys," Ron said in a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we should go in," he suggested.

"Why?" Harry blinked.

"Uh, well… they've noticed us, and the Baron is kinda staring," he muttered. Hermione narrowed her eyes, but she nodded. Adjusting the strap of her beaded bag, which was hanging off of her shoulder and wrapped around her body, she stepped forward, making her way into the Hall.

Once inside, she offered them both a genuine smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Helena replied, returning her smile. "Théo, this is the girl I was telling you of, and her friends. Hermione, Harry, Ron, this is Théophile, a friend of the family. He stayed at the castle for the summer to work on his potion making."

"Hello," Hermione gave him a warm smile and bowed her head, the boys following her lead. "It is wonderful to meet you."

"And you," Théo grinned. "It is not often we get new students that join in the middle of the summer."

"Oh?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. "How interesting."

Helena gave him an amused look before sitting back down and waving for them to sit as well. Hermione and Harry sat on either side of the girl, while Ron sat across from them with Théo.

"You join us late," the Baron said. "Is all well?"

The trio shared a look and Harry shrugged. "We had a long day yesterday and overslept."

"I see."

"Théo," Helena said, gaining his attention again. "What did you say about daisy root and powdered bicorn horn in an ageing potion?"

He considered the idea and replied, and the two slipped back into their previous discussion, thanks to a very kind Helena. The trio shared a look and nodded. They'd focus on eating for now and talk later, when they could.

It was only when they'd just finished their meals and had begun a nice discussion about the particular enchantments placed on brooms (which Hermione assured the boys were already enchanted to fly by now) when the Founders graced them with their presence.

"We apologize," Helga said, nodding at them. "for not eating with all of you, and especially for missing the introductions."

Salazar eyed his student and the boy he was soon to adopt and seemed pleased that they were conversing in a friendly manner before he took over. "We had manners to discuss and the elves brought us breakfast when it seemed we were going to be a while."

"That's fine," Hermione assured them with a smile.

"Is everything alright?" Ron asked, frowning at Godric. Harry and Hermione both nodded very slightly and looked at the Founders as well. The four shared a hesitant look.

"We will be speeding up your training," Godric said slowly. "And it will be much harder than it was before."

Harry bit back a sarcastic comment and pushed down the annoyance. He and Ron had both had some difficulties – him with concentration and Ron with the spellwork, though he knew Ron's casting had gotten better later in the day.

"Should we-," Hermione frowned and very carefully didn't look back at Helena and Théophile. "Maybe we should go talk in the training room?"

"That is an excellent idea," Rowena smiled at her, nodding before she turned to her daughter and her friend. "We will be busy for most of the day. If there is anything you need, tell Elsy and she will find us."

"Yes, Mama," Helena nodded. She turned to her new friends and smiled warmly. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Hermione grinned back. She liked Helena quite a bit, and was glad to feel the same friendliness coming back to her. "We'll catch up with you at dinner, hopefully."

"And remember not to let your wrist twist," Théo nodded at Harry, who made a mental note of it and gave him his Marauder grin. They'd spoken briefly of dueling, and Théo had suggested a few corrections for him.

Soon, the group of seven made their way from the Great Hall and found themselves by the east exit where the training rooms were. They settled into the seats placed around the room to talk, and all of them looked grave by the time they got there.

"We do believe that Ron's dream was a prediction," Rowena said to break the ice. Ron paled quickly, and Hermione placed an awkward hand on his back to comfort him. "We do not know when it is to come true, but one thing is obvious – it is during school."

"We had quite a few questions, but one stuck out," Godric told them. "Why weren't we there to protect you?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized. "You- you can't be-,"

"It is a possibility," Helga said sadly. "We would and will protect this school and its students with our lives."

"What are you talking about?" Ron frowned. Harry was silent and staring at his hands, so Hermione was forced to answer him.

"They mean that they would never let this happen, Ron," she whispered. "Not while they're- while they're alive. Not while they could stop it."

It took him a few seconds to understand, and he only looked sick when he understood. Harry was still and silent, and he almost looked like a very life-like statue. Ron rubbed his face with his hands, thinking back to his dream.

"We were wearing clothes from this time," he said quietly. "So couldn't we just never wear clothes from this time? Wouldn't it not come true?"

"No, I don't think so," Hermione said. "If we're to assume that prophecies are true, then I believe this would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It would force a situation in which we had to be wearing clothing from this period, and the prophecy would happen then."

"Damn," Ron swore under his breath.

"We can train you," Godric told them gently. "But the issue is, we don't know when it'll happen. So, because of that, we will be rushing it. Working much harder than we had hoped to have to work you."

"And we will be teaching at least healing and dueling at the same time," Helga added shortly. "If students will be harmed, then we must have you able to heal them."

"I will be training you in some more unorthodox ways of defending yourself and others," Salazar told them quietly. "None of these are dark magic, but some are less light and more… neutral. If you are uncomfortable with learning those things, tell me and I will not force you, though I do believe it will be helpful."

"Okay," Hermione agreed nervously.

"Is that all?" Harry asked shortly. Salazar and Godric shared a look and shook their heads.

"We will be teaching all of you Occlumency-,"

"I already know," Hermione frowned. "When Profes- er, when Snape started teaching Harry, I decided to try to learn so that I could help him."

"Hm," Rowena tilted her head, considering the options. "Then you and I will work on Legilimency."

"Yes, anyways," Salazar said, gaining the boys' attention once more. "We will be working on Occlumency, and Harry, Helga and I will be giving you a full check up."

"A- what?" Harry blinked at him, momentarily forgetting his very serious job of professional brooding. "Why?"

"Because," Helga frowned, staring at his scar, which she could just barely see from his ruffled fringe hanging to the side. "there is something wrong with your scar."

"I- well, I'm…" he shot Hermione a desperate look and she caught on quick, her correct guess at his panic saving him.

"Harry's never had a check-up in the Wizarding World before," she explained before frowning. "Come to think of it, neither have I."

"Really?" Rowena blinked at her. "Then we'll get one for you, too… actually, for all of you, just to be safe."

Harry gave his friend a very thankful and very relieved smile. He wasn't sure he could handle Salazar – or anyone else, for that matter – finding out about the Dursley's, at least not yet, and if they knew he'd never had any sort of check-up before, they'd know something was wrong.

"Is there anything else?" Hermione asked politely, smiling warily at her teachers. The four shared a thoughtful look before shaking their heads.

"Why don't we get the check-ups out of the way, and then we'll start with wandless and silent shields?" Helga suggested. With weary nods, the seven of them set out for the hospital wing to begin their long day.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"A broken wrist when you were six?" Rowena raised an eyebrow. Hermione blushed and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I was being chased by the boy down the street, and he tripped me."

"Ah, and you fell on your wrist?"

"Er- no… I got up and hit his arm," she laughed nervously. "That was before I learned to use words. Turns out, I like that option much better."

"I see," the woman said, shaking her head with a fond smile. "It looks like that is the only broken bone you have ever had, yes?" When Hermione nodded her head, she moved on. "You have got a good diet, maybe a little low on iron. You do not sleep much, do you?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "I study a lot."

"School should not take away from your sleep," the Founder frowned.

"Er- it doesn't, not really. Harry and Ron are fine. I just like reading a lot."

"I see," Rowena grinned. "As do I. My friends used to joke that the only way I would put down a book were if someone lit it on fire."

Hermione was slightly horrified at the thought, and made a mental note to make sure the twins never got such an idea. She wouldn't put it past them to light her bookcase on fire just to see what she'd do.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"You may very well be one of the healthiest students I have ever examined," Godric grinned as Ron stood. The spell wore off quick enough, and he was free to go. "Might want to go wait. Your friends aren't done yet."

Ron looked slightly pale as he glanced at the curtain Harry was behind. "Probably, yeah."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What will it do?"

"Just review your previous injuries, such as broken bones or brain damage of any sort, or organ damage, that sort of thing," Salazar said with a shrug as he pulled his wand out. It was hard to miss the way the boy paled. "Harry?"

"I'm- I'm not sure this is a good idea," he said quickly, glancing at the curtain and back at the man. "It's not really important, right? We could just look at my scar."

"Well," Salazar sighed. "normally I would say you are correct, but if it is Dark magic, I will need to scan your body to see if it has been effected. Besides," the man resisted the urge to narrow his eyes. "from the way you reacted, it seems you have something to hide in your medical history."

"I don't!" The boy denied hotly. "I just don't see the point in doing this, when-,"

"The point, Harry, is to make sure you are safe and healthy. That is and always will be the point," Salazar said slowly, pinning the boy with a harsh gaze. "If I find out that you are not or previously were not safe or healthy, I will blame no one but the person or people that caused you to be that way."

"I-," Harry grimaced. "I just don't… Please don't freak out."

"I will not 'freak out,'" Salazar promised honestly. "I can handle more than it seems you think."

"I… Alright."

With Harry's consent, Salazar raised his wand and cast the spell, and his previous injuries filled out on a piece of parchment placed on the table next to him. Harry felt his gut twist as the parchment began to fill. Each injury listed felt like a punch, and Harry was feeling sick by the time the long list had finished, starting from Halloween night of 1981 all the way until his near death experience in coming back in time.

There was a long stretch of silence that seemed to last hours, but Harry figured it had only been a few minutes by the time Salazar spoke. "Harry-,"

"I don't see them much," he promised. "I'm at school most of the year, and then I only spend a week or two with them before going to the Weasley's, or going to see Sirius and Lupin."

"A minute with them is too much," Salazar snapped, eyes full of a barely restrained fire. Harry recoiled in shock. He knew the venom wasn't meant for him, but it surprised him, the amount of anger Salazar now held for people he'd never even met, just from an admittedly long list of injuries. "Who put you with them?"

Harry hesitated, and that was enough of an answer for the Founder.

"Do not tell me it was Dumbledore," he hissed. Harry shrugged lamely. "That man has had much too much interference in your life. I truly doubt that Sirius was the only person able to take you in when your parents died."

"Well…" Harry shrugged. "When we came back here, we found out that my mom was best friend's with Neville's mom, so she was probably next in line, but she's… not available."

"This is ridiculous!" Salazar fumed. Harry frowned as he felt the air around them crackle with magic. "You should never have been placed with those despicable muggles! You are obviously not safe there, and yet that man forces you to return every year?!"

"Well," Harry said slowly. "He did mention something about blood wards. I have to go there a week every year, or the blood wards fall and I'm not protected, and neither are they."

"They don't deserve protection!" The man yelled. "And blood wards, bah! I am certain that, had you been adopted by a magical family, they could have created blood wards just as strong, if not stronger, to protect you!"

"Dumbledore seemed pretty sure of himself…"

"Harry," Salazar said, suddenly speaking very low and very slow. "Never believe anyone based on only their word. Always ask for proof. Always argue the point and always be sure that there is no other option if you do not like the one offered."

"I- I'm not sure I could argue Dumbledore," the teen admitted. "He's… Dumbledore."

"You say that as if he is some sort of god," Salazar huffed. "He is no god. He is a wizard, powerful maybe, but he is no god."

"I- Alright," Harry nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"And you will not be going back to those muggles," Salazar told him firmly. Harry hesitated before nodding.

"I won't," he promised.

With a satisfied and grim nod, Salazar finished the exam. When he was done with the general exam, he opened the curtain and waved Helga inside.

It took them almost an hour before they were finished, and Harry immediately knew there was something wrong when they were done. "What is it?"

"There is… something inside your scar," Helga told him with a frustrated frown. "We did try to remove it, but I believe it is alive."

"It's _alive_?!" Harry screeched, his voice a couple octaves higher than normal. Salazar nodded shortly.

"It is dark magic, too. It's pressing on your brain, so it may be causing you to have some mood swings. I will be doing research, but we do not know what exactly it is," he explained, annoyance lacing his tone.

"Okay," Harry nodded slowly.

"But for now," Helga forced a smile on her face. "We shall train."

Harry pushed his thoughts away and nodded in agreement. They had a lot to learn and barely two months to learn it. After that, they could be attacked at any point, and they would have to be ready.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Hold your wand!" Salazar instructed, yelling to Harry. "Yes, that's it. Keep it steady. Remember to focus. It's stronger the more you focus, Harry."

Harry did as he was told and felt his magic flow around him. It formed the shield around his body and he muttered the words he made sure to remember, and the shield sunk into his skin. He could hear his friends doing the same and smiled softly. They had another protection, even if it wouldn't last forever.

When he saw Salazar nod proudly, he grinned and closed his eyes, focusing on pulling his magic in and calming it down again. "That was… incredible. I've never used my magic like that."

"It is not something you should do often," Salazar told him. "But it can be very helpful. It gives you more ability to will your magic to do whatever you need. There is less need to use a spell."

"Is that how people create new spells?" Hermione asked, wandering over with Ron.

"Sometimes," the Founder replied. "Not often. It is hard to make accurate spells with this method."

"Can you teach us to make new spells?" Ron wondered. Salazar shrugged.

"We can try. That _is_ one of my areas of expertise, but it is not easy."

"What else are we doing today?" Harry asked, impatient.

"You've got Healing, potions, and then more Occlumency," Salazar informed him. "As a matter of fact, you should leave for the hospital wing now or you'll be late."

"Alright," Harry sighed. "Thanks."

Salazar nodded and smiled as they made their way out of the room. Once they were gone, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. It had been easier than it should've been for Harry to access his magic in the way he did, and it worried him. No one was meant to have that sort of control over their magic.

As he rubbed his head, he felt Hogwarts inform him that the trio had made it to the infirmary. Sending a thanks back to the castle, he stood and turned, disapparating. He needed to get things set up before Helga finished with the trio. It was going to be a long night.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The trio learned a lot about Healing that day. For the first, they learned that it was not all potions and sleep. They learned that there was often copious amounts of blood, and that it was infinitely more complicated.

Next, they learned that it usually took a very steady hand, and that if it shook at all, it could very possibly mess everything up and, possibly, kill the person they're trying to heal.

Lastly, they learned that healing doesn't always work. That talk sobered them up very quickly.

From Healing, they went back to Salazar for Potions, and found him meditating on his table.

"Um," Ron said smartly.

"Professor?" Hermione called. When there was no response, Harry sighed.

"Professor, we're here for potions," the teenager said. The man still didn't move, and Ron frowned.

"Is he- is he breathing?" Ron stepped forward hesitantly, and Hermione rushed over, placing two fingers on his arm, which was lying beside him. After a few seconds, her hand flew to her mouth.

"No, he's not."

Hermione and Harry rushed into action while Ron ran to get the adults, something which they all agreed would be best, though the redhead was reluctant to leave his friends.

Hermione began CPR while Harry ran diagnostic charms, but it felt like they weren't being fast enough. The man had already been… his heart was already stopped when they'd gotten there.

It was ten minutes of constant CPR and spells before Ron ran back into the room, looking nervous. "I can't find them!"

"You have to!" Hermione snapped. "He's- Ron, he's not waking up! His heart won't start again!"

"Well, maybe if you'd stop _hitting it_ , then he would!" He snapped back. Hermione narrowed her eyes, and Harry stepped in, not looking up from what he was doing but speaking in a quiet voice that gained their attention.

"Shut up. Both of you. Ron, Hermione is using a muggle technique of starting a stopped heart. Hermione, he just doesn't know. Now stop what you're doing because he's dead."

They were all quiet after that. Hermione refused to quit, but she stared at Harry as she pressed on the man's chest.

"How did this happen?" Ron asked suddenly. "He was sitting on his desk like he was meditating."

"I- I don't know. The spell says he's been dead since… since a little after we left him," Harry replied, his voice breaking a little. If he was honest, he was a little angry. Salazar had offered to adopt him and to be like a father, and he had promised he wasn't like Sirius, and now he was… dead.

"How did he die?" Hermione asked, slamming her fist down on their professor's chest.

"Not sure. I can't find a cause of death," Harry sighed and lowered his wand arm. "What would happen that would leave no cause of death? Even if it were natural, it should tell me that. That's what Professor Hufflepuff said, at least."

Hermione gasped, eyes wide, and her hand flew to her mouth. "Harry, there's only one thing that can do that…"

"What?"

"The Killing Curse," Ron whispered, staring at Hermione. She nodded slowly, and Harry tensed, pulling his wand back up.

"In that case, we need to go find Helena and Théo. Make sure they're safe and then go make sure no one is in the castle," the raven-haired teenager said firmly. His friends, as usual, agreed to his plan. Hermione pulled the Marauder's Map from her bag, and they spotted Helena and Théo together in the library, so they ran there as fast as they could.

When they reached the silent library, Hermione shook her head. "They're just quiet because it's a library."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, believing himself as much as Hermione believed herself. They walked quietly along until they reached the area the Map said their friends resided. When they turned the corner, Hermione gasped and turned back around, throwing herself at Ron, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her. When he looked at the table, he understood what had her upset.

"They're dead," Harry whispered after waving his wand at them. "They- they've been dead for ten minutes."

"But that's how long it took us to get here!" Ron said with wide eyes. "Which means… whoever did this… they could still be here."

"And we're in danger," Harry confirmed, nodding gravely. He touched Hermione's arm softly. "Mione, we've got to go. We're not safe."

"The elves," Hermione gasped, shaking her head. "They're probably still here. And are we sure there's no more students?"

The boys shared a look, but neither of them could say she was wrong. They didn't truly know how many people were in the castle, and they couldn't leave if there was anyone else there.

"What about the Map?" Harry suggested. "We could just check it for anyone else."

"That's the thing, Harry," Hermione sighed. "I looked at it before we met Helena or Théo. They didn't show up on the Map – just us and the Founders. I have a theory."

Harry looked at her wearily but waved her on.

"Technically, this Map hasn't been invented yet. It won't be for a long time. So, it relies on our knowledge of who's here. We didn't see any intruder on the Map when we looked for Helena and Théo, did we? But they- they're-,"

"Okay," Harry nodded, cutting her off. "I see your point. We have to know them back here for them to show up. So we won't see any threats on the Map."

"And we won't see anyone else that might need help," she finished in a shaky voice.

"So," Ron sighed. "We have to stay and search for other people."

"Right," Harry straightened, shifting into the natural leader he'd always been. "Hermione, you take the top three floors. Ron, you take the middle two. I'll take the bottom three and the dungeons. Lock rooms with that Auror spell Mrs. Weasley uses in Grimmauld Place after you clear them."

"I can take one if you need," Ron frowned.

"That's alright," Harry shrugged. "I want you in the middle, just in case. If you hear someone screaming, go to them. Up or down, either way."

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to hear through floors?"

"Hermione?"

The girl sighed and dug her arm in her bag again before digging out three extendable ears and passing them out. "They're the only ones I have on me, so be careful with them."

"Got it," Harry flashed her a thankful smile. "Keep your Patronus out and walking with you, just in case. If you see something, send the Patronus to tell us and we'll get there as fast as possible. Disillusion yourselves, too. If you find someone, ensure they're not a threat before becoming visible."

"Got it," Ron said, plucking his wand from his pocket. "And if we… if we're not going to make it?"

Harry paused, considering the question. "Send the Patronus anyway and destroy anything from the future you have on yourself." He blinked. "Actually, let's just give everything we have from the future to Hermione right now, just in case."

The boys gave Hermione their things, except for the ears, and the trio shared a look for a moment before Hermione nodded firmly. "Let's go. Meet up in the Great Hall by the doors when you're done. Stay disillusioned until we're all there."

The three cast their Patronus before they left, and then split up, running in different directions.

It was already a bad day. All of them could tell it would only get worse.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What is that?" Helga frowned, staring at the trio she was watching.

"Hermione had that when she disappeared the other day," Godric said, tilting his head. "I do not believe she wished me to see it."

"It is a map," Salazar sighed. "Be patient next time."

"What sort of- oh my!" Helga gasped as the map in question filled out with Hogwarts. After looking closer, she and her friends noticed names on it.

Helena Ravenclaw – library, soul section

Théophile ? – library, soul section

Harry Potter – dungeons, potions room

Hermione Granger – dungeons, potions room

Ronald Weasley – dungeons, potions room

Salazar Slytherin? – dungeons, potions room

"I wonder why Théo's name has a question mark next to it," Salazar muttered. Rowena hummed her agreement.

They watched the trio rush to the library, and Salazar felt another pang of regret rush through him. He knew this was necessary, but it was not fun. The look of horror on Hermione's face broke his heart. It was obvious she'd never seen a corpse before, and now she'd seen three in a fifteen-minute period.

"That's the thing, Harry," he heard Hermione say. Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he watched them reason out the Map.

"So they didn't create it, then," Rowena hummed. "That is too bad. I had hoped to ask how they did it."

The friends were quick to come up with a good plan, but there was one thing that stopped the Founders.

"You can send messages with the Patronus?" Godric's eyes were wide as he spoke. No one responded as they watched the grim looking friends split up to do their jobs.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione paused, staring at the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy and tapping her foot anxiously. She glanced at her otter and sighed. "To Harry. I'm at the Room. Is it here yet? Should I check it? I don't want to get the Room of Hidden Things and be forced to search the entire thing." The otter swam off, disappearing into the walls. The girl ran her hands along the castle walls sadly, pushing back the tears that threatened to fall.

It was barely a minute before her best friend replied. "Check it. Just in case."

So, with that advice, the bushy haired girl paced back and forth in front of the wall, asking for a place where hidden things were revealed. It only took one try for the room to show up, and Hermione wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed that it was there.

Opening the door slowly, she steeled herself for what could be inside.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Silence sat amongst the Founders.

Hermione Granger had just opened a door to a room that was not only hidden, but not one they knew had existed.

It looked like surprises were in store for all of them.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry had cleared the first three floors quickly and easily, which left him only the dungeons. He was mostly worried about that. He wasn't sure he could go back down there, but it felt wrong for anyone else to check it. So, taking a deep breath, the boy headed down the steps and found himself in the dungeons he hated for four years.

The first place he cleared and locked was the Slytherin common room and its dorms. It was smaller than he expected, and he had to remind himself that they weren't exactly spilling with students. The school was full, yes, but nothing like it was in his time.

Next, he went through all the stock rooms full of potions ingredients. All of them were empty and, usually, smelled nasty. He locked them quickly and pushed onto the office. It was empty, thankfully. He passed through there to Slytherin's rooms. He sighed. He didn't want to be there. " _Homenum Revelio_." When the spell came up empty, he quickly left the room and locked it. He then made his way back into the hall, locking the office itself, and made his way toward the one room he'd been avoiding.

He didn't, as it turned out, need to worry about the classrooms. He needed to worry about the hallway near the classrooms.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Ron waved his wand aggressively at the large door and watched it close. He wasn't sure how to lock it like Dumbledore had in their third year when Sirius got into the castle, but he didn't know how. When he locked it with the spell his mother locked their bedrooms with while they were cleaning, he placed himself with his back against the statue facing the stairs and waited.

He'd finished his floors too quickly and had gone to secure the rest of the castle. Some more of the doors to the outside had been closed and locked, and he'd made sure to secure everything he could in the hospital wing.

He waved his wand at the lights and put them out, dimming the area. He pulled out the ear and waited, listening for his best friends.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"He's smart," Godric nodded with a grin.

"I still don't understand where Hermione went," Rowena frowned. "How did we not know about that room?"

"Perhaps we did not need to know about it," Helga suggested calmly.

Salazar remained silent as he watched Harry fight. None of them would be severely injured, but it was designed to test their dueling and their strategy. So far, Ron had been careful enough that he wouldn't be attacked, but Salazar was sure it would happen eventually. Hermione had disappeared into a room they didn't know about or how to get into, so she _couldn't_ be tested or attacked. They could only hope the room was safe.

With a quiet sigh, Salazar leaned back and continued to watch Harry fight.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It was almost too dark to see in the Room, but Hermione managed. She was used to reading in the dark at night. She glanced around the room and frowned. It looked exactly like it did in her time when she'd stumbled upon stacks and stacks of lost and hidden items. She even recognized a muggle telephone.

"That's not possible," she whispered to herself. She glanced at her otter again. "To Harry and Ron. I'm in the Room of Lost and Hidden things… it is exactly like it was in-," she cut off. If there was anyone with them, which she had to admit was a complete possibility with what they were doing, they couldn't know where they were from. "the last visit."

She watched her otter swim away and shook her head. It was impossible. None of this – or almost none of it – had been placed there yet. With a sigh, she pulled her camera from her bag and took some pictures.

When she went to leave, she had an idea. She moved to a stack she knew she could easily recognize and removed an item – an oddly shaped box. After stuffing it in her bag, she ran out of the room with her wand drawn and ready to fight.

Which was, coincidentally, what she had to do not even a minute later.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It had taken him barely ten minutes of fighting before he'd won and had a chance to actually look at the person that attacked him. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax as his eyes cleared of the high of fighting. He glanced down slightly and threw himself back, putting at least five paces between himself and his attacker. Blinking hard, he tried to look again, but the man in front of him stayed the same.

He'd just fought Lord Voldemort and won.

Upon realizing that, he promptly fell to the ground, his eyes closing.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione ducked a punch and threw another spell before kicking at the man she was fighting. She almost recognized the man, but his name escaped her. She thought it was odd, his mixture of muggle and Wizard fighting, but she knew she'd have done the same, and she was.

It wasn't until she froze the floor and the man took a step and fell that she knew she'd won. She stunned him and put him in a body bind before moving to him, grabbing his wand, and snapping it. Maybe it was an intense reaction, but she wasn't willing to take any risks. Not when her friends were dead.

Taking a deep breath, she moved to the man and took a closer look. She frowned heavily at his arm. The Dark Mark was on it.

And then she, too, fell to the ground as her eyes closed.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Ron, the smart boy he was, sat in the Great Hall waiting. He couldn't hear anything. _Anything_. He should've been able to hear his friends. But before he could go find them, he felt his eyelids growing heavily. And soon, he too had given into the feeling.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The Founders stared down at the friends lying in the beds in front of them. They had already healed the injuries both Harry and Hermione had received, and they'd given them all Dreamless Sleep potions. They'd all done well for the task, and the Founders were impressed, especially with how awful their education seemed to have been so far.

"They will be angry," Salazar commented softly. He was sitting between Harry and Hermione's beds.

"It was necessary," Rowena sighed. "I do not like it any better than you, love."

"Ro is right," Helga spoke up. "We cannot know how they would react unless they were in true danger. This was the only way if we want to get them ready for… whatever is to come."

"I know," Salazar sighed before switching to Parseltongue. " _But you did not have to put them in danger._ "

" _We've been in worse before,_ " someone muttered back. Salazar's head shot up and he saw Harry glaring at him heavily. " _What the hell was that?_ "

" _Not my idea_ ," the Founder answered honestly. " _I am sorry._ "

" _What was it?_ "

" _It was a… test of sorts,_ " the man grimaced at his own words. " _We had to know how you three would react in an emergency._ "

" _Then why was I fighting Voldemort?_ "

" _Ask Godric_ ," Salazar suggested. " _He is the one to choose._ "

Harry turned to his Head of House and raised an eyebrow, but the man was just confused, which made Harry confused as well.

"Harry," Salazar said, looking almost amused. "we were speaking in Parseltongue."

"Oh." The boy shook himself and spoke. "Why did I fight Voldemort?"

"Because he is the person most obsessed with you, for lack of a better explanation," Gryffindor shrugged helplessly.

"What do you mean?"

"I looked into your future and searched for whoever was most obsessed with hurting you. Voldemort is that person, though a woman with very large, black and white hair was next in line."

Harry grimaced. "Bellatrix. Sirius's evil cousin."

Godric shrugged. "He could not have hurt you too bad, though you beat him much quicker than we expected. You are a wonderful fighter."

"Thank you," Harry nodded before glancing at his friends. "When will they wake up?"

"You will wake in order of when you won or were taken," Rowena shrugged. "So you, then Hermione, and then Ron. He had to be taken, since his strategy was very sound."

"He… didn't have to fight?" Harry asked, a smile growing on his face.

"No," Helga agreed. "He closed the doors and locked them, turned down the lights, and placed himself in a position where he would see his attacker before they attacked. If we had sent someone after him, we have no doubt he'd have stunned them before they could duel."

"He's brilliant," Harry said with a grin. The grin faltered when he heard Hermione groaning beside him, and stood, moving past Salazar and sitting next to the girl he thought of as a sister.

"Harry?" she muttered, blinking. "Harry, what happened?"

"Mione, it's fine," he promised, putting a hand on her arm to calm her as she began to remember recent events. "Everyone is safe."

"Professor Slytherin?" Her eyes widened as she asked the question, but the man just moved closer so she could see him.

"I am perfectly find, Hermione. I apologize for giving you such a fright."

His words were so honest that both teenagers paused.

"I'm glad," Hermione said gently. "And Helena and Théo?"

"They are fine," Rowena jumped in. "We sent them to Hogsmeade for a few hours so we could complete the test."

"Oh."

"I believe Ronald is waking," Helga told them softly. The two turned to their friend and positioned themselves on either side of his bed as he woke.

"Mmm," he mumbled. Harry shook his head fondly but stopped when he understood what his friend was saying. "-ione."

Hermione froze on the spot in confusion, and Harry couldn't help but be somewhat amused. He knew Hermione saw both of them as brothers, but Ron apparently hadn't caught that.

"R-Ron? Ronald, wake up," she demanded. The boy stirred a little more before blinking awake and looking around, gaping at the Founders.

"You- you're-,"

"They're fine," Hermione assured him quickly. "But I do think we should have a talk."

"Yes," Godric sighed. "That would probably be good."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"It was cruel," Hermione insisted. The trio were talking alone after having the situation explained to them, and no one was happy, but Hermione was _angry_.

"Maybe, but they have a point, Mione," Harry sighed. "Fighting to fight is one thing, but fighting for something is another. It's a very important difference."

"They had to know how we would react under pressure," Ron added. "How could they know that we wouldn't just hide in the cupboard?"

Hermione stayed silent as she tried to argue their points.

"I don't like it," she whispered.

"Neither do we," Harry assured her, resisting the urge to rub his head. "But it's already over."

"I've never seen a… a dead body before, not like that," she closed her eyes, and Ron frowned at her.

"Neither have I," the boy said softly. "But we will have eventually. There's… there's a war coming, and we will eventually. I don't think it matters anymore."

"It should!"

The boys sighed, but they continued to try and convince her to forgive the Founders. It was an hour later when they gave up and went to bed. She wasn't the only one effected by the events of the day – she was just the angriest.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Please don't make it dance again," Hermione said tiredly as she watched her friends transfiguring their plates to have legs. "I don't want to repair them again." They'd been there for a month now, and they'd finally moved onto brushing up on their general magical knowledge. School was to start in a week, and they had to be ready.

"It's funny!" Harry said with a lopsided grin. "Plus, it's a hard spell. You have to admit that it's impressive I got it so easily."

"Yes, fine," she rolled her eyes. "You have your father's talent for transfiguration."

"Why do you say he had a talent for transfiguration?" He asked curiously, letting his wand fall a little. The plate dove off the table at the small motion and smashed onto the floor. He had the grace to look embarrassed.

Hermione repaired the thing quickly and handed it back to her friend before answering him. "He became an animagus before he was fourteen. That alone says he had a talent for it. Plus, Sirius used to talk to me when he hid from Mrs. Weasley in the library, and he mentioned it."

"You and Sirius talked?" Harry's eyes widened. The girl shrugged.

"He is actually very smart, Harry, and interesting to talk to. He was an auror, remember?" Harry nodded a little before she continued. "He tells me stories of his time working with Moody sometimes."

"Really?" The boy sighed and shook his head. "I'll have to ask him when we get back."

"I got it!" Ron yelled. His friends turned and Hermione grinned at the sight of his plate sitting calmly on the table, legs pushed out in front of it.

"Good job, Ronald!" She gave him a one armed hug before looking up for Professor Ravenclaw, who was making her way over. "I think we've all got it."

"I believe you have, yes," the woman commented, looking over their plates. When she found them all satisfactory, she nodded firmly. "Good. That'll be all the transfiguration for the day. I believe you, Harry, have Occlumency now. Ron, Hermione, you two have more Healing."

Harry had already passed his Healing and had focused more on his Occlumency. He still had lessons, but they were twice a week now instead of once a day. He and Salazar had also hurried along with the Occlumency, and he'd managed a few basic shields on the more painful memories. They were now working on the Dursley's, something he was never excited about.

He left his friends and headed to the dungeons, where he met up with his mentor. The man offered him a tight smile. He knew Salazar didn't like these lessons much either. They had a sort of connection, the same sort he had with Sirius. It couldn't be fun for him to see Harry in pain.

"Before we begin, there's something we must discuss," the Founder said. Harry sat across from him and nodded him on. "When you got here, we agreed you would be adopted by me as an excuse for your presence. It is time to do just that."

"Alright," Harry said slowly. He was surprisingly very okay with that. Salazar had been a wonderful help to him in adjusting. "How do we do that exactly?"

"It is a magical adoption," Salazar informed him. "We will connect our magic and your magical signature will change until it somewhat resembles mine. It is painless. It feels like a warmth wrapping around you. It is a bit like drinking a warm drink."

Harry noted that the man seemed to have personal experience with it, but he didn't comment on it. "And then I'll be… adopted?"

"Almost," Salazar shrugged. "You have to have a backup… a godfather."

Harry stiffened. "I have one. Sirius."

"And he is not here," the man shook his head. "I am sorry, Harry. You must pick someone else."

"Does that mean… will he not…?"

"In the future, he will be as much your godfather as whomever you pick in this time."

"Oh. Then… Professor Gryffindor, of course," Harry gave a slight grin. "I am in his House, after all."

Salazar matched his grin, shaking his head. "How that came to be, I have no clue."

"So… when will the adoption happen?"

"Tonight," Salazar said firmly. "There must be at least seven witches there to conduct the adoption. We will have to request Hermione and Helena's help and a few from Hogsmeade that are former students, but I do not believe it will be a problem."

"Why seven witches?" Harry frowned.

"Because it is an adoption," Salazar answered. "Witches must oversee it, and it is best if it is done by a coven."

"I don't… are you… they're not a coven, though," Harry blinked at him.

"No, but they have the power of one. Seven is a very powerful number, and seven witches is the most powerful group of people we know of."

"What about the Wizengamot?" Harry wondered. At Salazar's raised eyebrow, he frowned. "The people that tried me for underage magic."

"Hmm. More powerful than them, most definitely. Witches are typically more magically powerful than wizards, and seven is the most powerful magical number. Combine them, and you get a coven, or an unsealed coven."

"What's that?" Harry blinked. He'd never even heard about this before.

"It is when seven or more witches work together on a ritual or something of the sort but have not sealed themselves and declared a coven. It is only a little less powerful, but there are some things that only sealed covens can do."

"Like?"

"Most Dark rituals, for one," Salazar hummed. It had been a while since he studied covens. "Warding a place can be more difficult, because the strongest wards are tied to a person or group's magical core or their combined magic. So, if a sealed coven puts up your wards, then you are most definitely safe. It is, actually, the safest warding we know of today."

"That's amazing," the boy breathed. "So, Hermione and everyone else, they'll be like that but unsealed? And we have to have a coven to do the adoption?"

"Exactly," Salazar smiled. "Do you understand?"

"I think so," Harry hummed. "Is there anything else I need to know for it?"

"Hmm," Salazar thought for a second. "It will include a trade of blood, so your palm will be cut just a bit. Aside from that, just wear your best robes and you will be fine."

Harry resisted the urge to groan and nodded instead. They quickly got on with the lesson, which was easier than the past few and didn't leave Harry wanting to jump into a volcano for once. He knew why. He had a life changing moment in a few hours. They both did.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Did you need something, Professor?" Hermione asked coolly, raising an eyebrow at Rowena. The woman sighed internally but just smiled.

"We need your help with something," she explained. "It is for Harry's adoption tonight."

"What do you need?" The girl asked, her cold mask slipping a little at the mention of her best friend.

"We need to form an unsealed coven. It will consist of myself and Helga, you and Helena, and a few trusted past students from the village."

And so, Hermione, as curious as ever, began questioning the woman, and Rowena couldn't help but feel a little better. She was, very slowly, chipping at Hermione's anger. She could only hope it would fall away soon.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry looked at his reflection in the calm surface of the lake. He looked like he had last year, at the Ball, but much less… confused. Actually, he realized, he looked more like Ron. He shook himself and looked up as Godric approached. He'd come to care for the man quite a bit, like he had for Lupin.

"You look much calmer than you typically do after your sessions," the man commented. His voice was soft, and Harry just nodded silently. "Sal told me that you requested I act as your second – or your godfather, as you call it."

"Yeah."

"I am honored," the man told him. Harry blinked in surprise.

"You are?"

"Yes," Godric nodded honestly. "You are a very odd child, and we have all come to care for all of you. I am glad to have this opportunity."

"So, you don't mind, then?"

"Why would I ever mind?" Godric wondered, bewildered. "Even if I did not know you, Salazar is a brother. I would do it for that fact alone."

Harry was quiet for a few minutes before he glanced over. "My dad never got the chance to be my dad. I feel like I'm… I don't know. I feel like I'm ignoring the year he had with me. Like I'm ignoring what they did for me. Sacrificing themselves."

"You are not," the man said, his voice firm. "You are finding a way to live your life happier, the way they would have wanted. Parents wish only for their children to be happy and safe, and if they cannot do it for them, then they wish for their children to find someone else to keep them happy and safe. I am sure that, were your parents here, they would appreciate us keeping you safe. They would not be upset with you."

"Do you have kids?" Harry asked softly. Godric hesitated, but he nodded.

"I have one son. He is grown and travelling, living his life. He visits every once in a while."

"Is he happy?"

"I believe he is," Godric smiled. "But it was not I, alone, who raised him. Salazar, Helga, Rowena, they all assisted me."

"What do I call him?" Harry questioned. "Salazar, I mean."

"I believe that is a question for him," Godric nodded. "But, as for me, you and your friends may call me Uncle Godric, if you like. It is what Helena calls me."

Harry paused before shaking his head slowly in amusement. "Four years ago, when I was sorted, I never thought I would someday be sent back in time and asked to call my Head of House Uncle Godric."

Godric raised an eyebrow. "A month ago, I never imagined you and your friends would fall into our lives and I would gain another child to care for, or Sal would find another son, but Fate seems to have fallen bored."

Harry snorted. "She always seems bored with me."

"And I," Godric assured him. "But I believe we are late. We should head to the Great Hall. Everything was already set up when I left."

"Alright," Harry sighed, turning toward the castle. "Let's go."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The entire hall was bathed in gold and silver, a hint to Harry's past and future Houses. He grinned at the sight. There were no banners like in his time, but Hermione had apparently put up some wonderful illusions on the wall. It had the Hogwarts crest with the Slytherin one on the left and Gryffindor on the right. Above it was Ravenclaw and below was Hufflepuff. He glanced at the podium where a metal basin sat, next to a very old looking knife. He glanced at Hermione and she nodded, indicating that it had been sterilized. Upon closer inspection, he noticed it had a snake on it, slipping around the knife in boredom. He took an involuntary step back, thinking about the Chamber doors in his second year. He'd been remembering that awful night more often now, and it was beginning to really bother him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up in surprise, shocked out of his thoughts. Salazar gave him a nod and he took a deep breath. It was really happening. He'd known for the past month that it would, but it was always a future thing. Now… it was a now thing.

He glanced over to where the Head table usually was and spotted the unsealed coven. He had to admit, they did look pretty intimidating. Hermione looked like a literal goddess, sitting with her hair pulled back in a bun and a few curls hanging around her face, framing it prettily. She had on a long purple dress with a train behind it. He could see a little makeup on her and wondered why she, of all people, would pack makeup in her bag.

Beside her sat Helena, looking almost as beautiful as his friend. She had on a blue dress and her hair was down, framing her face nicely. He didn't pay much attention to her and instead moved on.

Rowena was next, and she didn't look much different than usual. She had always been gorgeous, but he'd never payed much attention. She was wearing blue as well, true to her House colors. Her hair was down as well, falling sweetly to the front of her dress and down to her waist.

After Rowena was Helga, who was wearing a dress that was a beautiful mustard color. Her blonde hair was pulled into a braid that ended on her left side, like a waterfall. He had to admire that – he had no idea how they could twist hair in such a confusing way.

Next were three women that he didn't know. They were gorgeous in their dresses of white, warm orange, and a gentle pink, but he'd never seen them before.

"Judith is in the pink," Salazar said, startling Harry. He chuckled at the slight jump the teenager gave but moved on. "Katarina in in orange, and Rosemary is in the white. They were all in my House in school, and they were good friends. They started the Apothecary in Hogsmeade when they left school."

Harry nodded his understanding and continued to look around. "There's more people here."

It was true. There were about twenty five people hanging around the Hall, including Ron and Théo, who were talking quietly near the doors.

"The town. We had to invite them when we requested help," the man explained. "It would have been rude not to, and we have a good relationship with them. It is important to keep it that way."

"I see." He avoided any more talking by approaching Hermione, who turned and grinned at him happily.

"Oh, Harry!" She squealed, reaching to pull him into a hug, which he returned hesitantly. "I'm so happy for you. Did you know that I have to be the head of the group, since I've known you longest? And I'm your best friend? Oh, I'm so excited for you!"

"Hermione!" He said firmly, finally gaining her attention. "Take a breath."

"It's just so interesting," she said sheepishly. "Hogwarts – in the future, I mean – doesn't have much information on covens, and I didn't even know there had to be seven women in one until today!"

"It is very interesting," Harry admitted with a grin. "Did you ask Ron about them?"

"Ron!" She exclaimed with wide eyes. The teenager in question's head shot up and he glanced over nervously.

"Yeah?"

"What do you know about Covens?"

"Er…"

"Later, Mione," Harry grinned. "We're busy."

"Oh," she blinked, deflating.

"Yes, why don't we get started?" Godric called, silencing the Hall easily. Hermione gave Harry an apologetic smile and shooed him away. The boy sighed inwardly and moved awkwardly closer to the podium where Salazar was standing.

"We are all here to perform the magical adoption of Harry James Potter by Salazar Slytherin," Godric announced. There were a few gasps, and Harry realized in annoyance that some of these people didn't even know why they were there. "Is the coven ready?"

"We are," Hermione replied. Her voice was steady and she was smiling, but Harry saw her fists clenched tightly.

Godric nodded and raised his wand. Before Harry could wonder what he was doing, the podium raised from in front of them and moved across the Hall and into the empty area. Salazar nodded at him, and the two followed it as Harry began to wish he'd asked more questions. Godric joined them on the other side of the podium for his part of the rituals.

When they were once again on either side of the bowl, the unsealed coven made their way over as well. When they reached them, Hermione was standing directly in front of Harry. In front of Salazar was Helga. Rowena was on her other side. On Hermione's other side was Helena, and then the three strangers followed.

The coven joined hands, and Harry watched curiously as they chanted words he didn't quite understand. A gentle white and gold light surrounded him, flaring out and gently touching the founders, as well as his friends – including Helena and Théo. He blinked in confusion, but he knew now wasn't the time.

He saw Salazar covered in green and silver and black and noticed his light was reaching out to almost the same people, with only the three girls Harry didn't know in the circle also included.

The chanting continued until the lights dimmed and only the one remained – the one between Harry and Salazar. He watched in amazement as Hermione's eyes, which were glowing with magic, along with everyone else's, turned to Salazar.

"Do you, Salazar Slytherin, accept responsibility over Harry James Potter's life? His happiness and his safety? His comfort and his peace?"

"I do," Salazar promised. Harry wasn't sure he'd ever heard the man so serious before.

The magic from Hermione's eyes encompassed the man and settled into his skin. Salazar shivered slightly as it prodded and entered his magical core, one half of the binding finished.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, accept Salazar Slytherin to be your father? To be your caregiver and your family?"

"I- I do," Harry nodded firmly. He gasped as the last of the magic resting in his friend's eyes settled into his magical core, content and happy and urging Harry to feel the same. Who was he to argue?"

"And I, Godric Gryffindor, do solemnly swear to protect and care for Harry James Potter if anything were to happen to Salazar Slytherin."

There was a silence as the magic slid out to him for a second and settled into him. Harry grinned at his new godfather as the man smiled contentedly as well.

"And now," Godric said as the Coven relaxed, most of their job finished. "for the blood adoption. With these two adoptions, it cannot be protested in any time. It is official and forever."

Harry glanced at the light that was still hanging between him and his almost-father. It was now gold and green, and Harry realized it was the bond between him and Salazar. Curiously, he focused on it and tugged. To his surprise, he saw Salazar's gaze snap to him. Before the man said anything, he shrugged. He wondered if it was a sort of mental link or something.

"Salazar, take the knife. Repeat after me," Godric instructed. Salazar tore his gaze from Harry with a slight frown and did as he was told. They repeated the same words as before, but this time, Salazar cut his hand carefully and dropped some blood into the bowl. Harry cringed. That did _not_ look fun.

Hermione shook her head when he looked at her, and he groaned inwardly. They couldn't clean the knife between cuts.

When it was his turn, he repeated what he was told, albeit nervously this time. Godric waved to the knife and gave him an encouraging smile, which he tried to return, but he suspected it was more of a grimace. He pulled the knife down and across his palm, ignoring the feel of blood and memories of a graveyard pulling at him. When the cut was big enough, he turned his hand over and squeezed until enough blood had poured into the bowl.

Setting the knife down, he barely heard Godric's final words. He glanced up at Salazar as he squeezed on the slightly painful cut to, hopefully, slow the already slow bleeding. Most would've missed the wince Salazar gave, but he'd spent enough time with him recently to recognize it. He raised an eyebrow, and the man gave a very slight nod to Harry's hand, which only confused him more.

"-adoption is complete!" He heard Godric announce. "You are now father and son."

Harry couldn't help but grin, and he was relieved to notice Salazar doing the same. There was clapping and grinning, and the coven broke their linked hands. Harry was confused to see the green and gold magical link still there, still visible, and gently shoved Salazar's shoulder with his own. "Why can I still see it?"

Salazar's lips twitched at the question. "You accidentally opened a mental link in connection to our magical link. Since it happened during the adoption, it is permanent. If you ever see this light fade… assume there is something wrong. It should always be visible."

"That's what happened when I pulled at it?" Harry wondered. Salazar nodded.

"I have not felt that in a long time, and it took me by surprise," he explained.

"So… can we communicate through it?"

Salazar nodded again. "With practice. I imagine it will be easier for us."

"Why?"

"Because you have never had a father and I have not had a son in a long time, and because of our Occlumency," the man said softly. Harry nodded and changed the subject.

"I'm not really sure what to call you," he admitted with a shrug.

Salazar hummed as he thought about it, and the two took seats at the teachers table, which was very odd for Harry, who had never really even walked near it before.

"Athair," the man said after a few silent minutes. "It means Father."

Harry thought about it for a moment before he nodded slowly. "Athair. Okay. I'll call you Athair."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay!**

 **Note to christineocheallaigh: holy shit. Yeah, I'm not the best at remembering every tiny detail of my own stories, but I usually do alright. I actually really appreciate your notes on a lot of the things you've mentioned.**

 **As for the link between Harry and Salazar, they and Godric are the only ones that can see it, yes. Godric can only see it if he truly tries, it's not as obvious to him as it would be to father and son. Since it's late, I'm not processing your note on the Map well, but I'll have to go through it again tomorrow and check on it! It is Irish Gaelic, but I had to use Translate because I'm lame and only speak one language, but I thought it would go well with the story. On the monkshood and aconite thing, I actually know that and have known that. I didn't realize I said they were different things but I'll definitely go fix it so thank you for telling me! I did learn not long after posting this that my dear sister told me it was built a *little* earlier than it actually was, but I plan on fixing that when I have time to do a full edit of early chapters. The whole thing with Salazar is a little confusing in general but in this, Voldemort truly isn't his heir. I guess I just needed a way to express that! This is definitely an AU after all. The thing with what the Founders did is going to go away after a while for some time before biting them in the ass again. Because no one really ever _stops_ brooding XD **

**I did try to pm you so I wouldn't have to place this entire thing here, but you had it turned off and this seemed easier.**

 **Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry for the late upload but I just wanted to give you something for the holiday. I hope you've had a good and safe day!**

 **Chapter Nine**

Hermione smiled softly after her friend as he spoke with his adoptive father. She'd always wished Harry could just be her brother. She'd even explained the situation to her parents once, and they'd gone to Dumbledore and asked him about it, but the batty old man had just said that Harry already had a family. Well, Hermione thought, at least he has a true one now.

She couldn't think of anyone better for Harry. As much as she cared for Sirius and Remus, she knew they weren't the same. They had too many of their own demons to battle to help Harry battle his. Salazar, however, would put his entire world aside if it meant Harry would be safe. She could see it in his eyes.

She also saw the same fierce protectiveness in Godric, which didn't surprise her. He was now also Harry's godfather, and he was proud of her friend. She knew he was proud of all of them, and now he had just another link to them – to Harry.

Harry also had Rowena and Helga. They cared deeply for the trio as well, and they would most definitely act as aunts to him, Hermione had no doubt. She turned her thoughts from them before she could get angry.

And then there was Helena and Théophile. Harry had friends in them – siblings, even. They were kind and caring, and they never pushed too far. Even Théo, who didn't know of their truth, had been careful and avoided pushing when he saw he was going to far. They were good friends, and most definitely invaluable.

Finally, Harry had herself and Ron. They were family. They were the closest of siblings. They'd been so since their first year when Quirrel had let in the troll. They'd kept the Stone safe and they'd taken care of the basilisk – even if Harry had to fight it himself in the end.

So, Harry had a wonderful family now. And Hermione couldn't be happier for him. He was practically shining with joy. But she couldn't help but worry about the day they had to go back and leave this all in the past.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Why can't I heal it magically?" Harry frowned at Helga, who looked honestly apologetic, but she wasn't backing down.

"It has to do with the magic sent into your core," she explained. "If you heal it magically, it will be much easier to remove, and the bond can break. I am sure it will heal quickly enough the muggle way."

Harry resisted the urge to throw his head back and sigh, but nodded instead. "Then why am I here?"

"We have found the source of the magic in your scar," Salazar whispered. Harry frowned when the man wouldn't meet his gaze. "I am sorry."

Harry's eyes widened. "Why? What is it?"

"Harry," Rowena said quietly. "what do you know of a Horcrux?"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry fidgeted nervously with his new robes and pulled at the green coat he was wearing. He was sat two tables away from his best friends, and the only person he even knew – and was luckily friends with – was Théo. The other boy gave him a reassuring nod before turning back to listen to the Hat singing his song. Harry's lips twitched at the sight. It looked like some things didn't change over time.

When the song was over, students began to be sorted. Many went to Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, with fewer to Ravenclaw and even less to Slytherin. Harry knew his father's House was the most selective and took closer looks at not only your mind, but also your heart. And beyond that, Harry suspected the Hat was charmed to look into someone's future somehow.

When all of the new children were sorted, each Founder stood and gave their own short speech. Hufflepuff went first, telling her students and others the importance of unity and loyalty and how important it was to be kind. Harry noted that she looked troubled and realized that she, and likely the others, made their speeches thinking about the coming trouble Ron had predicted.

Ravenclaw stood next and told her students that it was important to read and learn, and to remember to apply that knowledge for fear it should fade away. She promised them that, should they need help, they should always come find one of them, be it home or school trouble. Finally she reminded them where the library was before sitting.

After her was Gryffindor, who gazed out at all of the students proudly and happily. He promised them first that they were safe, a promise that made Harry's gut twist. He knew they couldn't say that for sure. Next the man told them that, should they be brave and smart and courageous, they will be successful in life, but only if they remember to be smart.

Finally, Salazar stood and moved to the very podium where he'd adopted his son. He stared at the wood for a long second before speaking, gazing across the large room and letting his eyes settle on the black-haired boy he called his son for a few seconds longer than everyone else.

"My friends are correct," he began. "If you follow their suggestions and speak to us and voice your concerns, you will be successful not only here, but in life as well. I have no doubt of that. You were all admitted here for a reason, never forget that.

"But there is something coming that we cannot prevent. Something that we, your head teachers, cannot protect you from. You see, a month ago, a student of ours had a vision. I will only tell you that, because of this vision, we saw the need to find you more protection in case of our unfortunate unavailability.

"This protection consists of a few students," he explained, locking eyes with Harry. He saw his son nod slightly, giving him the okay to give their names. "If you ever find yourselves in danger and cannot reach us, find them.

"Harry James Potter-Slytherin," he said, nodding at the nervous boy, who straightened up and erased all doubt from his eyes. The entire school turned to look at him, and there were some gasps at his name. The man heard a few children shout in confusion, but he put his hand up to silence them. "My son."

"Hello," Harry greeted, waving lamely but with a large grin on his face now.

"Théophile," Salazar said next, leaving out the boy's last name. He hated it and had always wanted to just be Théo, which was fine with his Head of House.

The school turned to scrutinize him next before watching the Founder again. "Hermione from Gryffindor House."

The girl in question stood for a moment and nodded at them firmly before sitting again and blushing furiously.

"Ronald," Salazar continued. Everyone turned to the readhead, who gave them a sideways grin, before looking at the man for the next person. "And finally, Helena Ravenclaw."

That, however, did not come as a shock to the group. Helena had been someone everyone turned to for a very long time now.

"We are not sure when this vision shall come to pass, but always be careful. Stay on guard, and stay armed. Protect yourselves. Older students, protect the younger. Younger students, make sure you are safe before looking for your friends."

And then he stepped back, and the feast began, leaving the students as ruffled as they were in the trio's time after one of Dumbledore's speeches.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Won't it just cause panic?" Harry wondered.

"Probably not," Salazar replied with a shrug as he moved the last of the books back to the shelves. Harry had sat on a desk across from his father as the man cleaned up the room for the night. There had been House meetings before the students had been sent to bed. "They will be cautious now. They trust us, and by extension, now you as well."

"I- really?"

"Yes," Salazar nodded seriously and sat across from Harry. "We are trusted to keep them safe. They are our students. We'd do anything for them."

Harry was quiet after that, pondering his father's words. He supposed that, technically, that's what a Headmaster would do. They'd keep their students safe and happy and in a place where they can learn securely. Harry's problem with the idea was that it was nothing like what Dumbledore did. The man was so caught up in his Greater Good and his Plans that the students, the little pawns that they were, they were shoved out of thought until they could be used. Dumbledore let people be hurt and attacked until Harry himself was forced to stop it, and he'd almost died doing so. The most Dumbledore had done was sent his bird, and even then-

"Harry!" Salazar said loudly. Harry shook himself from his thoughts and blinked. His father was standing directly in front of him, looking very concerned, with his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Harry, you cannot think like that. We do not know all of his reasons for acting the way he did."

"It seems pretty obvious to me," the teenager sighed bitterly.

"Yes, from your point of view. Now, using the limited information that we have, put yourself into his shoes," Salazar instructed. Harry made a face but did as he was told. "You have a prophecy made about your previous students' child. You inform them of it and suggest a way of keeping them safe, which they agree to.

"Then, they die suddenly, which leaves you to believe the only possible choice: that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper and that he was working for Voldemort. And so, the child's godfather is gone, as well as his godmother and her husband. You find out that, when Lily was dying, she set up wards around the child to save his life. They are connected to blood, and so the child goes to Lily's muggle sister.

"The child has someone watching him, albeit not well. He is removed from Wizarding society for ten years for his own safety, and so no one is to know that he is being attacked by the very muggles he lives with.

"When he reaches Hogwarts and is placed in your own House, you are pleased. He looks like his father, too, but he has his mother's eyes. Everyone can recognize him, and you are assured that your decision to have him raised in the muggle world was a good one.

"And then you begin to see signs of a Horcrux in the boy. You begin to worry, and so you set a trap for him, as well as Voldemort, who you are sure is alive by now and likely possessing the DADA teacher. Both fall for it, and they confront each other.

"Voldemort cannot stand to be touched by the Boy, and it leaves you wondering whether he is a Horcrux or rather if it was just the wards keeping him safe from the monster. You give him a few placating words and send him back to the muggles for the summer.

"Do those decisions make enough sense?"

"No," Harry huffed. "He should've just told me what he was thinking."

"Would you have wanted to know, at eleven years old, that you possibly held a piece of the soul of the man who murdered your parents?"

He was quiet for a beat. "No. But he could've listened to me about the Dursley's! I did try to tell him, but he just said that they're my family and I should be with them! There have to be stronger wardings than what my mum put on me! He could've set up another Fidelius and made himself the Secret Keeper!"

"I will agree with you on that," Salazar said, nodding. "Shall we keep going, or do you understand me?"

"I… I guess I get it," he admitted. "I just hate it. He shouldn't have ever had so much… so much…"

"Control over your life?" Harry nodded. "You are right. But he did. All we can do is make sure he does not have that control in the future… your future, I mean."

"You're sure we can do that?"

Salazar gave him a serious look and nodded. "I promise you, Harry. You will not be under his thumb any longer."

Harry watched his eyes to make sure he was being honest – more out of habit than distrust – before nodding slowly.

"Now, it is getting late. I will escort you back to your rooms tonight – I need to meet with your Uncle before he tries to impress his first years by blowing up their common room."

"He doesn't," Harry wondered with wide eyes as they headed toward the door. Salazar nodded with an eye roll.

"Every year. He seems to find it amusing, and Helga usually has to get the first years hot chocolate afterwards. I do not know why he still believes it is a good idea," the man shrugged.

"Does anyone ever get hurt?" the boy frowned. "It doesn't sound very… safe."

"Not usually," Salazar assured him. "One boy was hurt once when his older brother teased him and he ran where he should not have run, but otherwise, it is generally safe."

Harry blinked. "You mean he doesn't just set up wards around the explosion? That would keep the smoke confined, as well."

"I did try to suggest that, but he just said he had it handled. How, I have no clue."

"Well…" Harry looked up at his father, smirking slightly. "I _am_ a Gryffindor. Maybe I could sneak up there and watch and put up a couple of wards if the smoke gets bad or any first years wander off?"

Salazar smiled proudly at the teenager. "You are a Slytherin as well, that much is clear." He nodded as they changed directions, now heading toward the Gryffindor common rooms.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Bloody hell…" Harry muttered quietly as he made his way into the room during his uncle's welcome speech. He used some of his training and felt around the room for any wards with his magic. Aside from the typical Hogwarts wards, he didn't feel anything. With a frown, he made his way to the back while his father disillusioned himself and stood a ways away and behind Godric.

He was so focused on the warding that he only noticed the body coming down the steps when it slammed into him. His left foot went behind him to steady himself as he reached out with both arms to steady the person in front of him. "Are you okay?"

"I am so sorry," the girl gasped as she righted herself, blushing furiously. Her arms were on his, and she was gripping so tight that her nails drew just a bit blood – to which both Harry and Salazar gasped, though she didn't seem to notice or hear it. "I was not looking – I just wanted to see Professor Gryffindor blow it up again."

"I'd heard about that," Harry hummed. "Personally, I think he's being reckless, but I was assured only one person-," he paused when he saw his father, through the disillusionment, shake his head. "er, only one _student_ has been hurt before."

"Really?" She asked, eyebrows raised. "I thought he was just lucky the past few years."

"No," Harry shrugged a little. "But I am extremely curious how he does it."

"Warding?"

"Apparently not. I felt around- there's none there," he sighed and watched his uncle grin stupidly at his students, shooting a wink at his nephew.

"You felt it?" her eyes were wide as she looked at him. "That's really advanced magic."

"I had a great teacher," he shrugged. "who gave me no choice but to do well. Have you ever not wanted to disappoint someone so badly that you'd work harder than you ever have in your life?"

"No," she said honestly, tilting her head at him. "but I wish I did. It sounds like a beautiful person to have."

He smiled softly at her. "What's your name? You never said."

"Oh!" She blinked. "I am so sorry. I am Aariah."

"I'm Harry," he said. She looked surprised, and like she wanted to reply, but Godric had finished his speech and had his wand out, so Harry pointed at him and she quieted.

Godric looked intimidating with his wand out. He was tall and large and his hair was pulled back by a strap of leather. He held his wand out and, casting silently, waved it at the common room. The first years, as well as any other students that had snuck down from their dorms, were pushed back against the left wall.

Nervously, Harry and his father cast, hoping to protect any curious students.

" _Protego Maxima_!"

" _Repello Inimicum_!"

The wards were cast at the same time. They were bright, brighter than the explosion Godric had created. Both father and son felt the gentle, warm prod at the small cuts on their arms. Their blood fell to the ground, touching the stone floor of the common room.

The Gryffindor common room erupted in the golden-green light that made up the bond of Harry and Salazar. When it touched the explosion, it was immediately put out, the only evidence left being Godric with his wand up.

The father-son duo felt their bond tingling as they were tied hard into Hogwarts, and Harry stumbled while Salazar held tightly onto the chair in front of him. The man's disillusionment fell abruptly as the light settled down, leaving only the typical visual bond between the pair.

"…Hello, Sal, Harry," Godric muttered, looking at the pair in shock.

"Hey, Uncle Godric," Harry said quietly. "I'm a lil tired. Maybe I could just… lie down…?" He blinked once and tried to stumble over to his uncle, only to find Aariah dropping an arm around him and helping him over. He tried to deny needing help but when he found his words dancing out of his brain, he let her help.

"Harry?" Salazar asked, blinking away the blinding light. It took him a moment before he saw a student helping Harry over toward Godric and himself, and the man shot over to his son. "Harry?"

"'M fine," the boy slurred. "Jus' tired."

"You burnt out your core," Salazar hissed after waving his hand over him for a few moments. "Harry, you could've died."

"Not till you," the boy muttered firmly, glaring up at him. Salazar started at how serious he was and realized that his son truly meant it. He didn't want to leave him.

"I- let us get you to your rooms, yes?" He offered. Harry shrugged lightly.

"Uncle Godric shouldn't blow anything else up in here," the teenager said in a detached voice. "won't go well."

"I will not," Godric promised, frowning softly at Harry in concern. "if you do not do… that again."

"Can't," was Harry's only reply before he lost consciousness, and the girl supporting him grunted, only able to help him gently to the ground.

Salazar blinked as he finally realized again that someone had been helping the boy up. "Fifty points to Gryffindor. Thank you for your help, Aariah." With only a small look between the two founders more, Salazar picked Harry up and carried him out of the room and to the Infirmary to let Helga and Rowena fuss over the pair.

They could worry about what had happened after some rest.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Harry, do you know why we are considered the safest place for magicals?" Rowena asked the teenager, who just blinked and shrugged. His head was hurting and he didn't want another history lesson. "It is because we have the most collective knowledge. We are the only magical school in the world right now."

"What about-,"

"No," she said before he could suggest another school. "Whatever it is, it has not been made yet."

"So… why is it still the safest place in my time? I mean, there's other schools now, at least three others. Is it the wards?" Harry asked.

"No," Helga replied, before tilting her head in consideration. "Well… yes, sort of."

"That's… not very helpful," the teenager frowned.

"What she means, is that there were no special wards – none that other magical schools would not have. Not until last night," Rowena explained. Harry just blinked at her. "Last night, you and Salazar created blood wards in the Gryffindor common room-,"

"We didn't!" Harry denied hotly. He knew full and well that blood wards were illegal.

"You did not mean to," Helga soothed. "But you did. When you cast those spells – spells which we have never seen combined before – it mixed with the blood that both of you were letting fall, and the bond that you already shared."

"So… all of that made… blood wards in the common room?" Harry frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Harry, can you do a favor for me?" Rowena asked.

"That depends," he said. "What is it?"

"I need you to quiet your mind, the way you do for Occlumency, and listen. Once your mind is silent, listen for any whispers that are not your own."

Harry frowned at the odd request, but he did as he was asked. He'd been practicing enough and it only took him a moment to silence his mind. Once it was done, he was surprised to find the whisper that Rowena had suggested would be there.

 _Hello, My Protector._

 _Hello?_

 _I am glad to meet you once more._

 _We- we've met?_

 _Yes, in my future. It is in your past now._

 _What do you mean?_

 _Are you not from the future? Did you not travel here to find your family and renew the World?_

 _My coming here was an accident._

 _That is what you believe, My Protector. Do you not think that your Athair would disagree?_

 _My- he- it was just a broken Time Turner._

 _You will know the truth in the future, My Protector._

 _Who are you? How are you talking to me?_

 _Is it not obvious? I am your Home. I am the Home for the Lost._

 _What do you mean?_

 _I am Hogwarts, My Protector. I am Home._


	10. Chapter 10

_**Trigger warning for abuse, just in case.**_

 _ **Sorry if this is kinda choppy, but I don't have the energy to fix it, so enjoy!**_

 _ **Also shout out to GinHanelle for being amazing. Your reviews are making me smile and want to keep writing tbh. Thank you for reading!**_

 **Chapter Ten**

It took Harry two full days before he was released from Helga's care, and another week before Salazar had finished fussing over him. Godric, however, was not quite done.

"You could have been killed!" The man told him again. "If you'd stepped in front of that flame-,"

"Athair would have saved me and your students would have a fun story," Harry grumbled as he took another sip of his drink, which only made him miss pumpkin juice and coffee.

"Or Sal could've been too late and you'd die!" Godric huffed. He'd pulled Harry away from the Gryffindor table, where the boy had tried to sit to talk to his friends, and taken him to the staff table for another lecture. The rest of his family sent the teenager pitying looks, and the other professors just looked amused or disinterested.

"Tell me, Uncle Godric, in the entire time you've known my father, has he ever been too slow?" Harry wondered, not even bothering to look up at Gryffindor's stumped face. "Look, I was careful. I didn't even step in the line of fire, you know. I stayed back and shot in the general direction of the spell. I even made sure not to hit you or Athair."

"You should not have been so near danger," Godric tried slowly.

"Yeah, okay, and what about those first years?" Harry asked pointedly, finally looking up and raising an eyebrow.

"They were out of the way and they have never been hurt!"

"Except…"

"…it was once, and it was not bad."

"Uncle Godric, I'm fine."

"Do not ever do it again," the man said firmly. Harry nodded, crossing his fingers, and agreed. "Good. Now, how about we get to dueling early today? I would like to teach you some crowd containment spells before class begins."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry most definitely did not like their runes professor. He only worked part time, when Rowena or Salazar were not available, but he seemed to do his best to grate on Harry's nerves.

It was barely a month after classes began that the professor had officially decided he didn't like Harry either, only a short time after he'd finally realized the relationship between the Founders and Harry.

"Are you listening, boy?" Professor Alvarah snapped. Harry's eyes shot to the man, and he fought of a frown.

"Yes, Professor," he promised, flinching slightly. He'd become a wonderful liar, but the Professor was having none of it.

"If you do not wish to be in this class, boy, then just leave," Alvarah hissed. Harry attempted to suppress another flinch, but didn't manage. "I will not be keeping you here."

"I'll be staying, thanks," Harry replied coolly.

"Fine. Then pay attention, or you will be visiting the weapons room to do some cleaning." Harry didn't reply to the threat, and the professor only sneered at him before he got back to teaching. He paid enough attention to the rest of the class, and it was at the end, when he'd finally relaxed, when the man yelled again. "Boy!"

Harry took a deep breath and let his head snap to the professor. "Do _not_ call me that. I don't care who you think you are. Professor or not, you do not have permission to treat me with such disrespect. I may be a child, but I am respectful and smart and you have decided to pick on me for _no real reason_!" With a glance around the room, Harry sighed inwardly and stood. "I'll be leaving then. Have a good day, _Professor._ "

With that, Harry stood and made his way out of the room, even as he ignored the gentle whispers of comfort from Hogwarts.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Why?" Salazar asked gently as he took a seat next to Harry. The teenager had made his way quickly to the rooms he shared with Ron and Hermione and had dropped himself on the couch, waiting for someone to come to him – he knew it wouldn't be long.

"He wouldn't _stop_."

"Stop what, Harry?" Salazar kept his tone soft as he asked. He'd been given a story, of course, by Alvarah, but he didn't trust the man and he never had. He also suspected that the distaste for Harry stemmed from that, but he had no proof.

"He- provoking me."

"Why did you let him?" the man questioned. "You know Occlumency – you know how to calm yourself."

"Because it's not anything we've put shields up for!" Harry snapped. "I told you I didn't want to work on the Dursley's yet."

Salazar paused. What could that man have done that roused memories of _them_?

"Did- Harry, did he…"

"He didn't hurt me, no," Harry murmured, his eyes dark. "Just… a word. It's a stupid word."

Salazar considered his options before speaking, slightly hesitantly. "Would you like to put shields up over those memories now?"

Harry paused. He knew his father was asking so he wouldn't need to explain, and he was grateful. So, with a silent nod, they began.

 _They fell into a preppy living room, the size of the room they were just in. With a quick look, Salazar realized Harry looked to be no more than two years old._

" _Boy!" A booming voice called as a large, whale-like man stomped into the living room. Harry flinched visibly and stood, showing Salazar his clothing. He had on a greyish-white shirt that was much too large for the thin boy, and a pair of pants that were also too large, being held up by a rope. "Did you finish dusting?!"_

" _I tried, Uncle Vernon," Harry said with a frown. "but I can't reach some of it."_

 _The large man let out and angry grunt as he padded over to Harry and lifted his arm, easily knocking Harry halfway across the room. The boy curled into a small ball on the ground and seemed to be sniffling in pain. "Finish it!" Vernon screamed before muttering angrily under his breath and making his way back into the kitchen._

The pair fell out of the memory, and Salazar stood and paced over to the fireplace, his hands in fists at his side. That… _whale_ had hit his son, and he had been, what, two?

"I was five," Harry answered slowly, Salazar's thoughts having been loud enough to sound through their bond. "I'm usually small for my age. Not lately, I guess."

"Because you have been well fed," Salazar hissed. Harry stayed silent at that while Salazar forced himself to calm down. "Would you like to continue?"

"Some other time," Harry muttered moodily. "I just want to take a nap before class later."

"Okay," the man said hesitantly. "Just tap the bond if you need me."

"Okay."

Giving his son another glance and frown, Salazar walked out. He knew he'd only made things worse by losing his temper.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Harry," Hermione said hesitantly. "I just wondered if you wanted to talk about- er-,"

"About class?" He asked bitterly. She shook her head vigorously.

"No, not that. Well… sort of," she shrugged slightly and cast another warming charm. The pair were outside by the lake, watching students run from classes. "It's just… Well, you've been losing your temper a lot, and I was, well, I was wondering if something was wrong."

"Right," he replied in a bitter tone. "that."

"So, there _is_ something wrong?"

"'Mione, do you know what a Horcrux is?" He asked. The dark look in her eyes told her that she didn't want to know, but she had to ask. It was Harry, after all. So, she shook her head and tilted it to show interest.

The explanation was quick, and while she normally would've wanted more details, the bookworm gladly filed away the information she was given and didn't ask more. "So, you brought them up because…?"

"Because," he said slowly, glancing back toward the castle. "when they did the check-up, they found something in my scar." He paused to let her catch up. "'Mione, it was a Horcrux. Voldemort made me a horcrux."

"He- no!" She yelled, surprising him into looking at her. She had a few tears in her eyes and was staring at him as if he were about to explode. "You can't!"

"I am," he replied bitterly, though he was more than a little worried. "Why is it such a big deal? I mean, I know I'm a little moody, but everyone is looking for a way to remove it."

"Harry… I've done research on souls and soul magic. I don't know much about this, but… look, the soul grows as your magic does. It's like with accidental magic. The older your soul is, the less of it you'll have. So, to take a piece from your soul… well, I suppose it's why Voldemort was so cruel, in a way. His soul probably acted as a last line of defense, and when that was gone…"

"Unforgivables for everyone," Harry finished, frowning. "Okay, so Voldemort's angrier than normal. So?"

" _So_ ," she said slowly. "It is extremely hard to touch a soul at all. To _remove it_ must be even harder! So, you've got a soul stuck in your head, making you angry, and it's nearly impossible to remove!"

"Okay," he frowned, beginning to get nervous. "Nearly impossible, not completely. Right?"

"I don't know," she sighed, slumping against the tree again. "I'd have to ask Professor Ravenclaw."

"So it's a bit worse than I assumed," he summarized. Hermione nodded sadly and took his hand, more for her comfort than for his.

"Yes. Just… keep me updated, alright? I'll ask Professor Ravenclaw later and tell Ron what's going on while you're in class," she promised. Harry gave her a grateful smile and the two lapsed back into a comfortable, albeit slightly nervous silence.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 _Hogwarts… you showed Neville the Room of Requirement._

 _I did? How nice._

 _You really don't know the future?_

 _I truly do not._

 _Then how did you know I'd be coming? That I'd be- what'd you call me?_

 _My Protector? Because your magic is as ingrained into me as your father and uncle and their friends._

 _So… I don't think I understand._

 _Well, the Founders, as you call them, made me, in a sense. I was here before them, though. They took me and built me back up until I was beautiful once more. They brought students for me to protect and for them to teach, and so we both do so to the best of our abilities. You, however, are what protects me._

 _So… you protect the students and I protect you?_

 _In the simplest of terms, yes. Your magic is tied to mine and mine to yours and yours to your fathers._

 _What does that mean, exactly?_

 _That, I believe, is up to you and your family. The future, just like the past, is not yet set in stone._

 _You're really cryptic._

 _Thank you._

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"How do you like it here?" Helena asked quietly as she and Hermione walked to the library together.

"It's… it's different, but definitely not bad," Hermione said. "I'm learning so much that they never even consider teaching in the future."

"Really?" the other girl asked in surprise. "Like what?"

"Healing, for one," Hermione sighed and nodded at the frown on Helena's face. "I'm not sure why they've gotten rid of it, only that it's gone."

"So, until now…"

"We've had no training," Hermione confirmed. "It's why we had such issues until before school."

"I see," the girl said with a deep frown. "Hermione… when we first met, I heard you talking."

Hermione blinked as she tried to remember what they had been talking about. When the memory came, she stopped walking. "Oh."

"Yes. You referred to me as the 'Grey Lady?'"

"I- yes, we did."

"Why?"

"You… Helena, I'm not sure I should tell you," Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, I doubt there is anything that can stop Lady Time's plans," the girl said thoughtfully. "Whatever you tell me, I will not try to stop it."

The bushy-haired girl thought for a moment before speaking slowly. "You are the Grey Lady – the ghost of Ravenclaw. You don't talk to students often, though I've seen you talking to my friend Luna."

"Oh? And why would I speak with Luna?"

"Likely because she's the most honest person I've met," Hermione suggested. "And she needs a friend, most especially in her first three years. She's very smart when you listen and very insightful, even if she seems… loony."

"She does seem like someone whose company I would enjoy," Helena agreed thoughtfully as they began walking again. "Would it do any good to ask you why you referred to Théophile as the 'Bloody Baron?'"

"No," Hermione shrugged. "All I know is that he was always nice to Ron and Harry and I, even though he's the ghost of Slytherin, who has only been seen talking to Slytherins."

"How rude of him," Helena sniffed.

"It's _history_ ," Hermione corrected. "And it can't change. We don't know what changes could prevent us from coming here."

"We would not want that," Helena said softly and honestly as they finished their pleasant walk into the Great Hall.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I had another one," Ron said as he slammed his way into Harry's room. "Harry, wake up, I had another one."

"Wha?" Harry mumbled, shoving his head further into his pillow.

Ron flicked his wand in a hurry, flinging his best friend's blankets and pillows off of the bed and then once more, lighting the lamps. "Harry!"

"Wha? What? Ron?" Harry blinked and pulled himself up, his eyes on his panicked looking friend. "What's wrong?"

"I had another one! Another dream!"

"The- like with the- the… thing?" Harry asked smartly. Ron nodded vigorously and Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He focused on the gold and green line leading out of the door and tugged on it hard, letting his worry seep through.

When he was done, he opened his eyes and waved at his bed. "Go on, sit. I'll get us some tea." Ron did as he was told and sat, and Harry left the room to their small living area where he called an elf for tea and waited for it to get back. Before the elf returned, however, he heard a shout from his room and rushed back over.

"Where's Harry?" Salazar asked hurriedly as Ron stared with wide eyes. "Ron, where-,"

"I'm right here, please calm down," Harry muttered, rubbing his eyes gently. "It's Ron that needs the help."

Once the man had looked Harry over and assured himself the teenager was fine, he turned his attention to the redhead in the room. "Ron?"

"I- I had another dream," he said shakily. "I'm not really sure… I don't understand what it was."

"Just slow down," Salazar coached, his voice gentle. A confused elf knocked hesitantly at the door and wandered in with the tea, and Salazar gave it to the nervous redhead. "start at the beginning. What did you see?"

"I- well, it was dark. I'm not really sure where I was. There was something sticky on my hands and clothes and in my hair. I was- I was holding Hermione up and she was awake, but she was bloody and… I looked for Harry, but… I don't- Harry, I'm sorry…"

"Shh, Ron, it's alright," Salazar soothed, though he looked a little nervous now himself. Harry sat next to his friend and guided his tea to his mouth. The redhead took another minute before speaking again, but he kept his head low and Harry got the feeling he was crying silently.

"There was a black… _thing_ leaking from his forehead and then… and Helena came in and she made us leave and said there wasn't time… but Harry… and we got outside and it was night, but it didn't feel like it should be night," Ron took in a sharp breath and shivered. "It was like a dementor had wrapped itself around the grounds."

"You were at Hogwarts, then?" Salazar asked, a deep frown covering his face as he listened.

"I- I think so."

"Is that all you remember?" Harry wondered. Ron hesitated before nodding hurriedly, and Salazar frowned.

"Ron, whatever else there is, it's alright to tell us," the man promised. The boy hesitated again before looking at Harry.

"I'm sorry. I don't- maybe we can prevent it."

"Ron, what happened?" Harry prodded. Ron looked down again.

"When we got outside, the Founders were there, but they were… standing over someone, and…" he glanced at Salazar now. "I'm sorry… it was you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione had been filled in before breakfast as well as the Founders, and everyone noticed the two groups looking particularly grim. The thought of Harry and Salazar dying made everyone a tad anxious, and it was rubbing off.

It wasn't long before Helena was filled in on things as well, and she'd pulled Ron and Hermione away so that Harry could talk to Salazar.

It was almost two weeks before everyone had managed to put thoughts of the horrific vision aside and get back to daily life.

"I was wondering," Hermione said softly as she helped Salazar sort through his new order of potions ingredients he'd received. "if perhaps you could explain the… way Helena and Professor Ravenclaw communicate?"

"Oh," Salazar blinked and turned to her in surprise. "I have not thought of that in a while."

"Helena said it was some sort of… of soul magic," she prompted as she put the lizard tongue away.

"I suppose," he allowed. "it is a connection of souls to be opened by a motion. Helena and Rowena tap their wands to either open or accept the opening of the connection. It can be ended by tapping it once more."

"That's brilliant," Hermione breathed. "And it's undetectable?"

"Yes, much like a true soul connection."

"Like the one you and Harry have?"

Salazar blinked at her. "Yes, like ours. He told you?"

"He tells me everything, and Ron too, if he can," she admitted with a sheepish shrug. "Which, uh, brings me to the next reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Yes?"

"Er- Harry told me you were looking for a way to remove the Horcrux," she said slowly. She saw his stone mask he used while teaching fall, hiding away any and all emotion, and she held back a wince. "Sorry, it's just… I wanted to help."

"I apologize, Hermione, but this is not research I can allow you to help with," he told her firmly. "I assure you, I have it handled."

"But sir, I've done a little reading on souls in general. From what I've read, souls are nearly impossible to even _touch_ , and mixed with dark magic… sir, I'm just not sure that's possible."

"It is," he told her shortly. She watched him for a silent minute before reaching a terrifying realization and correcting her original statement.

"I'm not sure it's possible to remove it without killing him," she said quietly, so quiet that he nearly didn't hear her, but he knew what she was going to say even if he hadn't heard it.

Salazar stayed quiet for a few agonizing moments while he thought. It was only when his mask fell that she realized he'd come to some sort of conclusion.

"Hermione, who do you care for most in this world?"

"In this one?" She asked. He nodded silently. "Harry and Ron… and then you four and Helena and perhaps Théo."

"I asked who you cared for _most_ ," he told her, and she sighed.

"Harry. He's a brother – he's my brother. Blood or not, I would do anything for him."

"And that, Hermione, is why you are asking me a question you know the answer to. Because you know I care about him too and that I hate the answer just as much, if not more, than you do. Because you believe that love can drive someone harder than anything else.

"Hermione, would you like to know the one thing I have learned that I still have yet to come to terms with?"

She nodded silently as tears began to form in her eyes. She could see the blatant pain on Salazar's face and felt her gut twist painfully.

"Love, however much of it you may possess, cannot accomplish the impossible."

At those words, a sob tore from the girl's chest and the tears began to pour. Salazar looked at her in slight surprise. He'd truly thought that she would be too stubborn to cry in front of him, but he was glad to see he was wrong. He had just told her that her brother would have to die for a madman to be stopped, after all.

And so, Salazar wrapped an arm around the teenage girl and allowed her to cry into his chest as she truly understood what the Horcrux in Harry meant.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"She's avoiding me," Ron muttered with slumped shoulders. Harry frowned.

"I'm pretty sure she's avoiding me."

"Harry, I'm the one that had the vision, she must be avoiding me," Ron insisted.

"I'm the one that _died_ in that vision, it's probably me," Harry denied.

"You are both stupid, hmm?" Helena rolled her eyes. "She is a person- a human being. She can be avoiding everyone because she is having a hard time."

"But she's Hermione," Ron frowned. "She'd tell us."

Helena gave him a look like she couldn't tell if he was serious before sighing exasperatedly when she realized he was. "Are all boys in your time so thick?"

And with that, the girl stood and left the Hall to find Hermione.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What did you do to annoy her?" Aariah asked, laughing slightly as Helena gave Harry a cool look while passing him in the hall.

"Ah. Ron said something a bit… senseless about Hermione, and she's not happy with either of us. Not sure why she's annoyed with me, as I didn't say it…"

"Maybe, but you are Ron's best friend, yes?"

"Yeah?"

"That is why, then."

"That's… but that makes no sense!" Harry blinked at the laughing girl.

"Apparently, neither did what your friend said."

"Girls," Harry grimaced. "You're all so confusing."

"No," Aariah shrugged. "We only follow different logic than you. If you understood that, you would likely understand why Helena will be giving you the cold shoulder for the rest of the day."

"This is too much work," Harry shook his head as they arrived at Dueling. Godric caught his eye and tilted his head curiously, to which Harry just frowned and mouthed "girls" at him before taking his spot.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

By the time the normal Christmas holidays rolled around, they'd all settled into a routine and the three had each made their own friends. Hermione spent plenty of time with Helena, and Ron spent his spare time that he didn't spend with Harry or Hermione with Théophile. Harry spent his spare time with Aariah.

Harry had realized that he, apparently, had the same aptitude for Transfiguration that James Potter had, as well as one for Potions that his mother had – when he had a proper teacher, that was.

Hermione was brilliant at Healing and had decided to attempt to read every book on it that she possibly could, and there were plenty.

Ron was a seer, that much they knew. Godric had begun teaching him how to tell when he would have one and how to disconnect his emotions when they came, and more that Ron had never imagined would be a part of Seeing.

They were also becoming wonderful duelists. They regularly trained with the Founders and had begun truly trying to best each other.

Salazar had paired with Godric to find some sort of last ditch effort for the trio to use to protect the school, and they'd finally managed to find something and teach it to them to the best of their abilities, though it was hard when they couldn't practice it without being hurt badly.

By the time Christmas came around, however, the trio were all feeling somewhat better. They'd already learned plenty and had made friends, and they had begun planning to keep Harry out of Dumbledore's grasp when they got back.

All in all, they deemed it a good term.


	11. Chapter 11

**My inspirations for this chapter are:**

 **Strawberry poptarts**

 **Prisoner of Azkaban**

 **My sister**

 **A particularly kind reader who has been my sounding board for a few, who I've been messaging while writing this one! (Thanks, MilandaAnza!)**

 **And a Christmas tree.**

 **Enjoy and remember to review!**

 **Chapter Eleven**

When classes began again on the third of January, after a break to visit family, Hogwarts had another few new students in their midst, which the Founders explained was because some of them could not make it until later because of their work at home.

It was the first day back during their Runes – with Professor Ravenclaw, since Harry flat out refused to be taught by anyone but her or his father – that they met the odd student with the eyes that penetrated a person in the most confusing way.

"Does- does he remind you of…?" Ron trailed off, staring blatantly at the blonde-haired boy sitting across the room.

"He looks sort of like-,"

"But he can't be, right?" Harry wondered. Hermione took a deep breath in before shrugging.

"Her family _is_ a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight," she explained. "And the circle was only made a few decades ago at the most."

"So, he's…?"

"Merlin's bloody balls!" Ron laughed with wide eyes. "That's Luna's ancestor!"

"I do hope they are not bloody," the boy they were discussing said with a disturbed frown. "I imagine that would be extremely uncomfortable, yes?"

"What?" Harry blinked. Hermione looked the boy over closer, and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a giggle when she, apparently, came to a sudden realization.

"My- well, I suppose it is probably quite rude to be discussing them to begin with."

"Harry," Hermione laughed. "This is Emrys."

The boy's gaze floated to her and he gave her a sweet smile. "Hello."

"Emrys?" Harry wondered.

"Merlin," Ron gasped.

"What?"

"No, Harry, I mean, it's Merlin," Ron said, nodding at the blonde boy in front of them.

"You- oh!" Harry's eyes widened drastically. " _You're_ Merlin?"

"Well, yes, but I do prefer Emrys as Hermione called me," he informed them.

"You know my name?" She asked with an excited smile.

"Oh, yes. I know everything," he explained seriously. The trio paused.

"Everything." Ron repeated.

"Yes. Would you like an example?"

"Please," Harry said, resisting rolling his eyes.

"Alright, Harry "Boy-Who-Lived" Potter-Slytherin. You traveled back in time to find your family and do what you have already done," Emrys glanced at Hermione and tilted his head. "You find Luna fascinating and love the idea of her creatures, but you have not seen proof and so you disagree with her. Do not worry. You will come to know her better in due time." He gave Ron a full on grin. "And you certainly do love using my name and body parts to curse to gain your parents' attention because you are the youngest boy and not even that holds their attention because their youngest child is a girl and she has their attention now."

"…bloody hell."

"Did you really doubt him, Ronald?"

"I mean, no, but meeting him…"

"I am known in your time," Emrys said. It wasn't a question, but more a phrase as if he'd just read it from a book. "How lovely."

" _He's Luna's ancestor_ ," Harry hissed in Parseltongue, his shock picking his language instead of him.

"What?" Ron asked, blinking at him in confusion. "Mate, you're speaking snake again."

"Sorry," Harry shook himself. "That's the second time this past week that I've done that."

"That's odd," Hermione frowned. "I wonder if it has to do with your bond, or-," she stopped herself as the familiar cold sense of dread overcame her.

"He will be fine," Emrys whispered to her. "Professor Slytherin was wrong – love can do the impossible."

"How did you…?" the girl blinked at him, hope hiding behind her eyes.

"I know everything," the boy shrugged and made his way back to his seat as Professor Ravenclaw began the lesson.

"Oh, he is _so_ Luna's ancestor."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"It's… weird," Ron commented as the trio ate. "I always pictured him as this old guy with a staff and beard."

"Maybe in his future, Ron, but he wasn't _born_ old," Hermione shook her head fondly.

"I know that. I just meant, it's how all the stories show him," Ron grumbled.

Harry, however, wasn't paying attention. He was sitting up very straight and had his eyes closed in a near meditative state as he spoke with Hogwarts.

 _You said you can't see the future._

 _Not in the ways you wish I could and not too far into the future – not your original time._

 _It's just… Hogwarts, Ron had another vision._

 _You will die._

 _Yeah._

 _All will be well._

… _I'm pretty sure it won't be, if I die._

 _It will, My Protector. You will be fine._

 _But I'll die._

 _Yes._

 _Death is a bit more permanent than you're making it sound._

 _For most._

 _Are you saying I'll die… and then come back?_

 _I am merely saying that, in the end, you will be fine._

 _Okay… and what about my father?_

 _He will… he will be fine as well, as long as you get to him right when you wake._

 _And if I don't?_

 _Then he will not be._

 _Right. So… Checklist for that day, yeah? One – die. Two – wake up. Three – remember Athair so he doesn't stay dead._

 _Remember to take care of my students._

 _Oh yeah, that too. Right. Doesn't seem too overwhelming._

 _Is that sarcasm, My Protector?_

 _I would never._

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Are you certain they're ready?" Godric asked, looking nervously down at the little, powerful witch in front of him.

"They are prepared for a multitude of injuries, including some crueler, yet simpler ones like the Cruciatus. They have been prepped for as many knife wounds as we possibly could and they know their way around the potions. They will be fine."

"You are still worried."

"We are all worried," she replied quietly. "We are putting the school and its students in their hands on the assumption that we are… unavailable. It would be foolish not to worry."

"We still have no way of knowing when it'll happen. It could be tomorrow or in two years," Godric sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"We should get hot chocolate and bring it back to the office. The children are there and we'll be discussing the research on sending them home," Helga said quietly, shifting the subject.

Godric agreed easily and the pair quickly made their way to the kitchens and asked for the drinks before heading back up to their office to meet with their little family.

"Please!" They heard Ron say, sounding rather hopeful.

"We won't be reckless," Hermione promised. "I could probably do it alone, but…"

"But we can't," Harry added. "Sirius and the Marauders did it when they were younger than us."

"Maybe, but they did it for a friend. A good cause," Salazar told him, his tone even and giving nothing away. Godric raised an eyebrow at Rowena, though she ignored it.

"Yeah, and this is a good cause, too!" Ron insisted. "We're serious."

Harry snorted. "No, Sirius is serious."

"Honestly, Harry!" Hermione huffed. "We're in the _past_ and you still make that awful joke."

"He's not here to make it himself," was the boy's only reply, shrugging as if it were obvious.

"We _are_ serious," Hermione promised them, shooting Harry a glare before he could speak up again. "And it might help. There's no way to know when we might need it."

"Alright, need what?" Godric interrupted, amused.

"They would like us to teach them to become Animagi," Rowena told the pair as they sat at their desks. The trio were placed between Salazar and Rowena desks, and they were perfectly at home there with Harry sitting on his father's desk.

"Wonderful idea!" Godric grinned. He winced when Helga slapped his arm lightly. "Er- I mean, only if they are careful and do it for the right reasons."

"We promise to be careful and we won't train unless at least one of you is there," Harry said, glancing between his father and the other Founders.

"I suppose," Salazar sighed. "but you will each be paired with one of us, like with Occlumency… which should actually speed up the process if you apply it. The meditation is often the hardest part of training."

"Thank you!" Harry gave them his Marauder grin and absentmindedly scratched his scar.

"We promise we won't let you down," Ron said with a firm nod and happy smile.

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling sweetly at each of them. The seven sat and spoke for a while, drinking the hot chocolates an elf brought them, before finally reaching the matter none of them wanted to touch on.

"Have you found anything?" Harry questioned, looking at Rowena with a blank face.

"Hermione's knowledge of the workings of Time-Turners has been useful, but it is not enough. I believe that, with time, I may be able to… recreate the Sands of Time and face them forward, but it will take me a while."

"How long do you think it'll take?" The question was quiet and careful, and none of them were sure if they actually wanted to know the answer.

Rowena hesitated. "At least a year. Maybe two. I cannot be sure."

"Oh."

"We're… we'll be here for at least a… year?" Ron whispered in confusion. "But… we can't be…"

"I am sorry, Ronald," Rowena said honestly. "But we simply do not have enough information. I promise I will do my best."

"And I'll help as much as I can," Hermione said, offering Ron a shaky smile. "We'll get home."

"You will see your family again," Godric promised.

"Yeah," Ron shrugged quietly and sat down as they moved onto other subjects, though his mind stayed on Ginny and the twins and his family.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"It wasn't that bad," Harry said, resisting the urge to laugh.

"A chair, Harry!" Hermione screeched, her face read and curls falling angrily around her face. "A _chair_."

"It was an accident," he promised.

" _How do you mess up that bad_?!"

"…I wasn't paying attention?"

"Exactly!" She screamed, poking his chest.

"'Mione, I said I'm sorry," he sighed, giving her his best puppy dog eyes, which she promptly ignored.

"You're usually wonderful! What in Godric's name happened?"

"That is slightly rude," Godric mumbled to Helena, who just grinned at watched her friends argue.

"I lost focus," Harry told her, shifting slightly.

" _Why_?"

"…I was talking to Hogwarts."

Hermione fell silent as she processed his words, and Harry glanced over at Ron, who looked very much like he wanted to laugh. Hard.

"You were talking to Hogwarts."

"Yeah, she wanted to tell me that someone had entered the grounds," he shrugged.

"We did have a new student arrive earlier," Helga piped in.

"…so someone entered the grounds and _Hogwarts_ tells you about it?" Hermione blinked.

"Yeah, er-,"

"Harry," Salazar cut in. "Did you happen to explain what happened on the first night of school?"

"Er- no?"

"Harry," Hermione whispered, her tone dangerously level. "What happened that could allow you to speak to Hogwarts and _turn me into a chair_?"

"…blood wards?" He winced. "Accidental, I mean. We didn't mean to, but Uncle Godric was-,"

"Do not blame this on me," Godric huffed. "It was your wand that made the lass angry, not mine."

"Er- right, well, he was blowing up the common room and we-,"

"We?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and Harry winced. He'd never really realized how scary she could be until then.

"Athair and I, we both cast different spells and the blood hit the floor-,"

"Blood?"

"Erm. Aariah accidentally scratched me, so it scratched Athair, too," Harry frowned as he let his thoughts wander on what that could mean, but he shook himself quickly and continued to explain. "But the blood and the spells and our bond made connections with the school and… well, I can talk to her now."

"Her?"

"Hogwarts is a girl."

 _I am a female. Not a girl or woman, since I am eternal._

 _You're eternal?_

 _Yes._

"…female," he corrected.

"So, you and Professor Slytherin tried to stop Professor Gryffindor from blowing up the common room, and your cut arm dripped some blood, so your bond and magic connected you to the school. And then today, she was talking to you and distracted you, which caused you to turn me into a chair," she summarized, waiting for him to correct her. When he just nodded dumbly, she sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. " _Boys._ "

"Well," Godric grinned. "at least we know Harry is more advanced in his transfiguration than we suspected!"

"…Yeah."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"If we're late to class, your dad's gonna kill us," Ron groaned. "I can't die here. Mum would kill me!"

"You can't die twice, Ronald," Hermione sighed. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Have you asked the ghosts? Or what if you become a poltergeist? I'm pretty sure they can at least be banished."

"I'm not sure you can _become_ a poltergeist, mate," Ron frowned. "Don't they just… become?"

Both boys looked at Hermione, who sighed dramatically.

"A poltergeist, or 'noisy ghost' in German, is a ghost whose main goal is to torment and cause mayhem and destruction."

"So they are made from people?"

"Yes, they are."

"See?" Harry said, grinning. "You _can_ die twice. Poltergeists can be banished or something, just like ghosts!"

"That's not _dying_ , Harry!" Hermione rolled her eyes as they turned the corner and blinked. "Uh, do you two know where we are?"

The boys looked around and frowned.

"No," Harry sighed. "Where's the Map? Maybe we can find a passage to get to class on time."

"I left it with Professor Ravenclaw in her office. She wanted to look at it, remember?"

"Why don't we just summon it, then?" Ron wondered, looking around.

"Because she has wards around her office that prevent that sort of thing," the girl sighed. "It's a good idea in theory, but…"

"Okay, well, why don't we just go back the way we came?" Harry asked, turning around. "It's gone!"

His friends both followed suit and gasped when they saw that the corridor they came from was, in fact, missing.

"How is that possible?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"Maybe it's like the moving staircases," Ron suggested.

"Maybe," Harry sighed. "How about we keep going? We're near the west entrance, right? We should reach something familiar eventually."

His friends shrugged, having no better ideas, and they kept moving.

"Professor Slytherin's going to give us that look, isn't he?" Ron moped as they walked, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"I don't understand why you guys are so worried. Just explain the situation in a way he'll accept and we'll be fine."

"Harry," Hermione said with a small smile. "You're being such a… Slytherin."

"Oh, well that's good, then," Harry grinned. "I'd almost forgotten who adopted me."

"Oh, don't be so sarcastic," she shook her head fondly but fell quiet as they reached a large, stainless steel door.

"'Mione-,"

"No," she agreed. "It shouldn't be."

"How…?" Ron blinked at it and reached out to touch it, but Harry caught his arm.

"Not until we know it's not a trick."

"How do we do that?" Ron asked him, somewhat annoyed.

"Your magic, Ronald," Hermione sighed and raised her wand. She flashed it over the door and frowned. "That's… odd. It won't let me run any spells on it."

"Maybe you're using the wrong ones?" Harry suggested.

"Harry, can't you just use your connection with Hogwarts to ask us to get out of here?"

Harry shook his head with a frown. "I haven't been able to talk to her all day, or I'd have done it when we first got lost."

"Something is wrong…" Hermione frowned at the door. "Something is very, very wrong."

"We have to go in," Ron said after a minute. "We can't just stand here. The way out is missing and at least we might know what's going on if we go in."

Hermione paused, eyes wide. "You don't… you don't think it's your vision, do you?"

Her friends' heads shot up, and Ron hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe we should cast the spell, just in case."

"I suppose," Harry sighed.

The three stood in a small circle and got to work reluctantly, doing their best to focus on the ritual and not the extremely out of place door next to them.

When they'd finished, the three took a step forward together, each placing a hand on the door to open it.

It happened in a moment that lasted an eternity. They were sucked into the door as if they were being pulled apart, cell by cell and placed on the other side. It was a pain worse than the Cruciatus, and none of them could stay conscious for it. Shock took over, and the trio passed out cold as they landed on a hard, damp floor.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Mmm-ne?" Harry groaned. He couldn't move, and he wasn't sure if he was tied up or if he was paralyzed, or both. "Mione?"

"Harry?" He heard his friend gasp. If he could've sagged in relief, he would've.

"Ron?" He checked next.

"'m here," he heard Ron groan.

"Where are we?" Harry hissed. "I can't move.

"I don't know," Hermione replied quietly. "It's dark and damp and there's more students. Probably all of them."

"I can't really see either," the raven-haired boy admitted. "I think my glasses are missing."

"We're chained up," Ron informed him. "All of us are, you're like… in the middle."

"Very helpful, Ron," Hermione snapped. "He means you're in the middle of the room and separated from the rest of us, but only to show that you're… I don't know, important?"

"He is the child of a Founder," a deep voice informed them. Harry couldn't move or see, so the only way he knew what was happening was from his friends.

"M-Magorian?" Hermione gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Magorian?" Harry said, confused. "The centaur?"

"You know of me?" he asked, amused by their confusion.

"You- you're the leader of the Centaurs," Ron informed him.

"Ronald!" Hermione hissed angrily.

"I am? Wonderful," Harry could _hear_ the centaur's smirk.

"What are you doing this for? What are you doing in general, actually?" Harry asked him. He couldn't speak to Hogwarts and however they'd blinded him had made it impossible to see his magic or his bond with his dad.

"We are taking back what was and should be ours!" The centaur boomed. Harry heard him move closer and could easily tell he'd moved in front of him. "Your kind have driven us from our home and refuse to give it back!"

"Are you sure about that?" Hermione asked softly. "They've taken the castle and grounds. Have you asked to share, or to talk about it?"

"It was ours!" He snapped at her. "They took it!"

"She gave herself to them," Harry corrected. "She told me that she picked them."

"What are you talking about, boy?"

"Hogwarts – the castle. She allowed them to settle here. She likes them. She likes the students and the teachers. She likes the magic and the safety."

"That is ludicrous!" Magorian sniffed. "It is a castle."

"You are a Seer of sorts – surely you can tell. She's alive," Harry told him.

"It is unimportant," the centaur decided. "We will take it back."

"And what about us?" Hermione whispered. Harry wished he could comfort her. She sounded so scared.

"Ah, yes," the centaur seemed to be grinning now, and Harry felt a chill run down his spine. "We will dispose of you, of course."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Are we sure this is safe?" Helga wondered, glancing around. They were in the forest. The centaurs had, after years, finally asked to meet. They'd tried multiple times to ask the creatures what they wanted and needed and offer their assistance, but they'd always been somewhat hostile. They'd stopped when a student had been hurt.

"They have suggested a temporary truce and claimed that the stars showed a danger to the both of us," Salazar sighed. "I believe it is important to meet them. It may be what Ron has been seeing in his dreams."

"I do not have a wonderful feeling about this," Godric admitted. "If it is a trap?"

"That is why we left Helena and Théo in the office," Rowena said firmly. "I only wish we had found Hermione, Harry, and Ron."

"Well," Helga sighed. "Let us go. They will be waiting."

The four pushed ahead again, making their way toward the forest. It wasn't until they were deep into it that they heard anything, and when they did, it sounded rushed and panicked. They watched as a centaur – Firenze, they believed – ran toward them, looking somewhat horrified.

"Turn back!" He instructed them. "Turn back and find your children! They are in terrible danger… I am so very sorry. So sorry."

And then he ran off.

It only took the four a split second to turn and run.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **Hey! Sorry if this is a little... not great. I've been caught up in work and friends lately and I've had to readjust my life. I'm not editing this at the moment, but I'll try to get it done tomorrow.**

 **Have a good day and remember to review!**


	12. NOTE

**NOTE:**

 **Hello! It's been a while. I wanted to address a few things here.**

 **First off, I know there are many things wrong or out of order in this fic. I've known that for a long time, actually. I'd love to blame it on my sister (and I do, a little bit) but truthfully I should've been much less lazy in fact-checking than I was. So, here's the thing. I am going to do a deep edit of this and continue it on soon.**

 **My issue is... I seem to have lost the next chapter. Which is as awful for me as it is for you. I know I left off on a sort of cliffhanger, which sucks because I'd promised myself I'd never do that. I'm going to try and go through my old files and find it and if I can't I'll get my sister to help me rewrite it.**

 **Since I'm going to be doing a heavy edit, watch out for changes. I know a few things will be different - like how far back in time they went, because I got that** ** _way_** **wrong - and Hermione, for example, will have the storyline she has in all of my fics... because I have a problem and can't let it go.**

 **I appreciate your continued patience as I search for my elusive muse and get back into the fics I already have published instead of focusing on new things.**


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